I'm not even sure what to say about that. Have these people never set foot in a classroom, read a book or newspaper, or even watched TV to not have learned Hawaii is indeed a state?

This also helps explain why the "birther" movement refuses to die...

She couldn't read the licence because her navel window was dirty.

Maybe you are taking aim at the wrong target.

Some friends of ours, with a middle-school aged kid, moved from Alaska to Virginia.

In class, when it was his turn to say what he had done with his summer vacation, said his family had driven from Alaska.

The teacher, looking askance, said "How did you do that?"

Mystified, the kid said "In a car, of course."

The teacher, deciding she is being had said "It must have been some kind of magic car, because Alaska is an island."

(Note -- back when people used paper maps, Alaska was almost always depicted in the Pacific just north of Hawaii, and 1/10th the scale of the rest of the map.)

I vaguely recall reading someting about a motorist trying to explain to Mr. State Trooper that New Mexico is part of the United States, and not a foreign country. I'll go try to dig it up.

The dumbing-down of America is even more advanced than I thought. Shameful. But "stupid is as stupid does".

They find them trying to use their food stamp ATM cards at casinos.

I'm sure she was able to vote for Jesse Jr's replacement yesterday.

Can we just get it over with and have a full blown EMP event...

Had a friend in high school who was from New Mexico. Said his parent's got accused of being from a foreign country a lot. Interestingly, only in the north east though. New York and such.

"dumbing down" heh, as IF.

When mamalady owned a store on the Plaza in Taos, NM in the 80's people were constantly asking us by phone if we took American money, etc.
You can imagine how a petulant teenager answered:
"New Mexico has been part of the US since 1850 [New Mexico Territory], and a state since 1912..."

It is for this reason that the license plates say: New Mexico, USA on them...

People have always been stupid... nothing changing on that.

Back in the '90s, a man in Santa Fe tried to purchase tickets for the Atlanta Olympics and was told he would have to purchase them through the New Mexican consulate.

He was finally able to purchase the tickets and attend the Olympics, where he put a sign on his hotel room door declaring it the "New Mexican Consulate."

==============================

My cousin's college roommate was told she would have to apply as a foreign student since she lived in Hawaii.

This was at a California university that prides itself on its academic rigor and the high intelligence of its students.

she's like we don't accept foreign driver's licenses.

Why wouldn't you accept a legal ID whether the person is foreign or domestic?

Can we just get it over with and have a full blown EMP event... -- John C at April 10, 2013 10:01 AM

I vote for Captain Trips.

Returning from several years living in the West, I took my new 6'6" blue-eyed husband to my Mother's workplace to introduce him to "the girls" and thank them in person for a wedding gift.

Mom had explained individually and in groups that my husband was from New Mexico and yes, New Mexico is one of the 50 states.

As we were leaving, we overheard a small group of ladies clucking "He sure doesn't LOOK like a Mexican!" and "He speaks English so well, he doesn't have an accent at all!"

A New Mexico travel magazine used to run a monthly column of such anecdotes, so it must be a common ignorance.

So, as to "where" these folks are found, let me tell you how the US government hires workers...

You know those obnoxious documents about who a company can and can NOT hire (and all sorts of other HR type regulations)? Well, the US government does all of them... in triplicate.

Say there's a job for a position classified as "Administrative Assistant" (gov jobs have official names with official duties... which may or may not have anything to do with the job). The job is posted for some time period that is in the legal window of acceptability. Say 30 people apply. Of those 30, the agency's HR department will make a list in rank order based on job-related skills the job candidates identifies on a checklist & multiple-choice type portion of the application. This ranking also includes one's disability and/or veteran's status. There may or may not be a list for only current employees or current/former employees - who can be on open lists AND employee-only lists.

The top few (usually 3) from each list will be shown to the person who is actually doing the hiring (the boss or the boss's boss). These folks know what the actual duties are, in detail, and what is wanted (but often can't put that stuff in the application, etc). They can choose one of the ones on the lists they are given, but if the list expires and they haven't chosen or if the candidates turn the position down, they have to start over. It is during this phase that actual interviews with people can occur.

Now, for an admin. assistant job, this isn't too bad. But, this same process is used for EVERY non-appointment job. So, you know, chemical engineers, senior executive service, etc. The main problem is that HR really has no clue who is "best" and those multiple-choice portions don't really do anything except encourage people to lie (most aren't really verifiable). So, the people who make the decision don't usually get to do any meaningful vetting.

So, that's how the process works.

I had to overnight a package to New Mexico and FedEx transferred me to their international division.

Captain Trips, EMP, Asteroid, Yellowstone's Caldera blowing...

whatever at this point..

Choose not to learn something?

Stand in line with these people, and fit right in.

whatever at this point... -- John C at April 10, 2013 1:16 PM

LOL! The reason I vote for the virus, is the cleanup is much easier. Drag the bodies into a pile and burn them. The houses, the car and the rest are still around.

I had a state DMV agent tell me a cousin's Canadian learner's permit was acceptable here, because "Canada's one of the fifty states."

A state DMV employee assured us a relative's Canadian learner's permit was OK here as "Canada is one of the fifty states.."

Third try at this post ... State DMV told us a relative could legally drive here with his Canadian learner's permit, as "Canada is one of the 50 states..."

This isn't a problem just with the government, when I managed people I had to explain the difference between countries & states to them multiple times for customs.

I also had a friend that didn't know where Canada was.

You know what my European and Asian (in Asia) friends say? They tell me how un-American I am because I actually know their country exists. My Polish friend was shocked that I knew her country (and its significance in WW2) and my Japanese friend wanted me to explain to people that she can't read Chinese.

As for New Mexico it's pretty common for people not to know it's a state. I pretty much expect it.

Most Americans these days are very shallow. This is a conclusion I have come to reluctantly, as it goes against my nature, but the data is impossible to ignore. The TSA lady does not know which states are in the United States, nor does she care. Her job is to refuse anything that is outside of her everyday experience; if it isn't routine, or if it's something she doesn't know about, the answer is no. If the customer makes a stink about it, she passes the issue along to an authority/adult figure (supervisor). As far as she's concerned, that solves the problem. Easy-peasy.

"Most Americans these days are very shallow."

Not me. I'm soulful, rational, brilliant, handsome, and perhaps one of the most self-effacing people on the planet.

Its not just Americans. This kind of thing has been common in every country I've visited. Stupidity knows no borders.

I have found that ill education, and stupidity in other countries is often disguised by the language barrier.