Emancipation Proclamation

For the record, I am obsessed with pop culture and probably have an unhealthy fascination with reality tv. Completely hooked since the first season of Survivor and the short lived Pop Idol, my fascination continues with The Scholar. If you haven't watched or heard of this show, basically it's ten high school seniors competing for a full ride college scholarship.

Not that any of the above was really important, but my comment is based on the last episode of The Scholar.

Don't you learn about the Emancipation Proclamation in elementary school? Isn't it something like 4th or 5th grade when you start with basic US history. And doesn't learning about the Emancipation Proclamation play a pivotal role in learning post-War of Northern Agression history?

No, it wasn't one of the Scholars who didn't know the answer. The task for this episode was to do some community service for a couple of non-profits that work with children, each group got $500 to spend. So the groups asked the kids what kind of things they wanted or needed for the programs. One little boy, approximately 9 or 10 years old asked for better dictionaries so that he could look up big words like Emancipation Proclamation when he read them and then clarified by saying "not that I know what that means."

Huh?! Is this what the public education system has come down to, that kids don't learn basic US History anymore?
Someone, please correct me if I'm wrong about when school kids normally learn about the Emancipation Proclamation. I can't remember not knowing what it is and vividly remember learning how to spell "proclamation" in 4th grade. Of course, I could be wrong in my guestimation of the boy's age, but he was a bit too well spoken to be younger than 8.

I think that I can agree with most of this

You Know You're From North Carolina When...

You've gotten used to the smell of cow manure on a car trip to Raleigh. Saying "y'all" isn't just a cute expression; it actually means something. There are big labrador retrievers in the back of every truck. You give directions using KFC and Waffle House as landmarks. You still see Dale Earndheart tributes on cars. You can't imagine life without Bojangles' sweet tea Your annual church fundraiser always deals with bbq and potato salad You have a sunburn from May to October Your 'heavy winter clothing' consists of some turtleneck sweaters, a fuzzy jacket, and your daddy's boots Your family has fried chicken once a week You can tell the difference between cotton fields and tobacco fields while driving One of your neighbors has a confederate flag hanging on their front porch Those "damn yankees" are taking over your school/church/workplace/neighborhood... You've been "properly raised", and yankees love it when they hear you say "ma'am" and "sir" You get your carbs from biscuits, rolls, pancakes, and grits You know the difference between a "redneck" and a "hick". You own at least one surf shop or seafood restaurant shirts. No matter what those people in ohio say, we are still "first in flight" The Coca-Cola 600 is as big as the Super Bowl You prefer Chick-fil-a to KFC You know pastry is a chicken stew, not a dessert item. Every time you visit someone you’re offered something to eat and a glass of tea. Your granddaddy always wore overalls and your grandma always wore an apron. In summer you have home-grown tomatoes with every meal. When it rains and the creek rises, everyone gathers to see how high it rose. You know that "chunk" the ball means to throw it. You've had a burger "all the way" - chili and slaw on it. You can recognize a copperhead and your heart drops when you see one. You have at least one relative that raises collards. Your folks have taken trips to the mountains to look at leaves. Your school classes were cancelled because of a hurricane. You know Krispy Kreme makes the best doughnut. You have an opinion about UNC. You went there and loved it, or you hate everyone who did. You know the best BBQ is found in North Carolina You would rather eat at Bojangles's than McDonald's You have actually uttered the phrase "It's too hot to go to the pool" You faithfully drink Pepsi or Mt. Dew everyday of your life. You have your own secret bbq sauce. You or your neighbors have more hunting dogs than you have family members. You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from North Carolina.

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For the record, I had to edit the best BBQ location. It's too much of a fight to narrow it down to one specific town.