The Swift Report for Kids: Indecency and You

In this edition of the "Swift Report for Kids" we'll learn about indecency. Why are dirty things so fun to watch? Take the "Indecency and You" Quizzle to put the "fun" back into fundamentalism.

By Gail Hernstrom, EdD

Editor's Note: In each edition of the Swift Report for Kids, our paid education consultant, Gail Hernstrom, EdD, takes a complex issue and makes it accessible to kids using her patented "Quizzles"™ technique. For today's feature, Hernstrom, the author of "A Nation Besmirched: How Janet Jackson Corrupted America's Children," tackles issues of decency. This innovative quiz will help young people understand what is wrong with SpongeBob's lifestyle and beat back the influence of the ACLU.

Indecency and You Quizzle

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1. To what does Justice Kennedy's statement "the evolving standards of decency" refer?

   "Desperate Housewives"

   breast feeding in public

   capital punishment for adults only

   banning Muslim headscarves in schools

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2. Which of the following famous pairs made headlines for indecent acts in 2004?   

   Paris and Nikki Hilton

   Jenna and Barbara Bush

   SpongeBob and Patrick

   Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

   All of the above

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3. WHITE HOUSE : MORAL DECAY ::   

   Internet : pornography

   gay escorts : journalism

   court houses: Ten Commandments

   Simon Cowell : American Idol

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4. Which case will have the greatest effect on decency laws?   

   State of California v. Michael Jackson

   Jeb Bush v. Michael Schiavo

   ACLU v. Secretary Rumsfeld

   Van Orden v. Perry (ten commandments in public buildings)

   USA v. Martha Stewart

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5. The American Family Association demanded that the FCC clearly define decency as a result of airing this indecent material:
   

   Saving Private Ryan

   Janet Jackson's nipple

   SpongeBob's video "We are Family"

   Desperate Housewives' ABC football stunt

   all of the above

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6. Which of the following is always indecent to remove:   

   Ten Commandments from court houses

   Janet Jackson's nipple covering

   Terri Schiavo's feeding tube

   Michael Jackson's makeup

   burkas

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7. From the following, identify the one indecent act which Congress is most actively pursuing:   

   gay prostitutes reporting from the White House

   Abu Ghraib prison abuses

   Tom DeLay's ethics violations

   steroid abuse in MLB

   human rights violations at Gitmo

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8. FCC : HOWARD STERN ::   

   Internet : pop-up porn site ads

   f-bomb : Bono

   White House : Guantanamo detainees

   viagra : erectile dysfunction

   capital punishment : mentally handicapped

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9. President Bush hopes to raise his approval ratings by tackling this major decency issue:   

   gay marriage

   threatening war with Iran

   Terri Schiavo's right-to-life

   withdrawing US from the International Court of Justice

   all of the above

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10. Who should decide decency standards for Americans?   

    Congress

    Barbara Bush

    activist judges

    Supreme Court

    Michael Schiavo

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