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SALT LAKE CITY -- Following the news that Congress failed to come up with a solution to the current debt problems, recent congressional approval polls show Congress has reached its lowest rating in polling history.
The most recent monthly poll by Gallup gives Congress an approval rating of 13 percent; however, a poll conducted by CBS/New York Times has Congress at 9 percent, which is lower than several extremely unpopular people and issues.
In nearly a half century of Gallup polling, the only people or institutions that have been more unpopular than the current Congress are Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden and Mark Furman, a detective in the O.J. Simpson murder trial.
- The IRS (Gallup '09): 40%
- Airline Industry (Gallup '11): 29%
- Lawyers (Gallup '11): 29%
- Nixon During Watergate (Gallup '74): 24%
- Banks (Gallup '11): 23%
- Oil and Gas Industry (Gallup '11): 20%
- BP During Oil Spill (Gallup '10): 16%
- Paris Hilton (Gallup '05): 15%
- U.S. Going Communist (Rasmussen '11): 11%
- Hugo Chavez (Gallup '07): 9%
- Congress (NYT CBS, Oct '11): 9%
- Fidel Castro (Gallup '08): 5%
Source: Washington Post: The Fix
To get some perspective, KSL talked with some kindergarteners and at Madeleine Choir School as they learned lessons about life through the story of Thanksgiving.
"If you don't get along, other people might feel sad because you're being mean to them a little bit," said kindergartener Maggie Fowler.
The class learned about coming together and setting aside the difference between the Native Americans and Pilgrims.
"If I get along with other kids, it just makes my day more fun for me," said kindergartner Kai Gerton.
The class said they know it is not always easy to understand others, but said they needed to try, which is something Congress does not appear to be doing.
"Does a child understand what compromising is? What flexibility is? What sharing is? Yes," said kindergarten teacher Jamie Kmetzsch. "Is it easy for them to do? Not all the time."
The children may not know the words, but they are already negotiating and compromising with their peers to steer clear of any conflicts. In addition, they are learning the importance of being flexible.
"Miss Jameson always says, ‘Thanks for being flexible,' like waiting and patience," said kindergartener Frida Ruiz-Berman.
The class is taught to be respectful, responsible and hospitable, which is a lesson that all need to revisit from time to time.
Email: jboal@ksl.com
