Civics much? Constitution much? As we’ve seen time and time again, the understanding of how our government works is sadly lacking. Heck people who have been ELECTED to serve are clueless!!

Right now, Bob Menendez, a United States Senator from New Jersey is on trial for bribery.

Today, the jury went to deliberations. And then this happened.

The federal jury weighing Sen. Bob Menendez’s fate deliberated quietly for six hours Tuesday, emerging only to ask a question – one that struck observers as odd.

Can you define a senator? the panel of seven women and five men asked U.S. District Judge William H. Walls. Walls opted not to give the jurors the answer they sought — and also denied their request to have portions of the defense’s closing arguments read back to them. Instead the judge instructed jurors to rely on their memories of earlier court proceedings and reminded them that what the lawyers said was not evidence in the case. [Emphasis Added]

Yes, folks, you read that correctly. A juror actually ASKED the judge, a FEDERAL judge to define the meaning of Senator!

Even an hour after reading that story the first time my eyes are still rolling around the back in my head at the ludicrousness of this “request!!” I’m not the only one.

I hope this was meant existentially https://t.co/eIfnUAJG7J

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) November 7, 2017

Jury notes are always mystifying…but this one may be the most mystifying https://t.co/E0hW7Hj1Ou

— Greta Van Susteren (@greta) November 7, 2017

god knows what kind of deliberations must be going on to come up with that question … https://t.co/IfrscQdZas

— Jonathan Tamari (@JonathanTamari) November 7, 2017

Of course, the Twitter itself started trending with What Is A Senator and the responses are comedic, tragic, stupid, and mind-boggling.

So we have a juror in a criminal trial of a Senator asking what is a senator ? And Liberals are worried about mean words?

— America First (@wthisagigawatt) November 7, 2017

Well, there is that. Hmmm, now that I think about it, isn’t asking the question of “what do you do?” or “how do you define your work”  supposed to be triggering? Wanna bet it’ll take some SJW weenie about .000987 seconds to decide that it is? But I digress…

The only way this is acceptable is if @KenJennings ended up on this jury and thinks he is back on @Jeopardy! https://t.co/6c62ToAUU2

— Jacob Smith (@jacobfhsmith) November 7, 2017

Yeah. NO. I’ll pass.

Someone who throughout history has been bought and paid—an individual whose loyalties follow the money. "What Is a Senator"

— ForLoveOfCountry (@ACollinsByrnes) November 7, 2017

Well…given what Menendez is on trial for, that one fits.

And, of course, the kicker of all of this is…EDUCATION. Actually the lack thereof.

We have an education problem, folks. https://t.co/K0nLELmhCi

— Emily C. Singer (@CahnEmily) November 7, 2017

Yes, yes we most certainly do.

"What Is a Senator" Education in 'Murica at work. To all colleges that B.ed–are you proud of what you've produced? #DumbedDownBeyondBelief

— Tricia Edwards (@TriciaEdwards2) November 7, 2017

Yeah, you see, there’s this really super duper cool document called a Constitution out there that has the definition of a Senator in it. It looks like this:

The Constitutional definition reads as follows:

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.

~Snip

No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.

The dictionary definition per Dictionary.com is:

noun

1.

a member of a senate.

2.

(initial capital letter) (in the U.S.) a title of respect accorded a personwho is or has been a member of the Senate.

Now, I don’t know that the jury deliberations resemble that of 12 Angry Men fame, one of my most favorite movies ever, but given that question from the juror, I’d REALLY like to be a fly on the wall!

I truly cannot fathom what led to that question. Then again, I cannot fathom anyone in this country NOT knowing or understanding what a United States Senator is!

Did the juror want to know Senate rules and regulations? He or she should’ve asked that. Instead the question was “What is a Senator.”

Folks, education MATTERS. Our Constitution and civics MATTERS. And so help me, if the next question from a juror is “What is a Democrat,” then I’ll know this entire planet is doomed.

bribery Civics comedy Constitution education juror Senator Bob Menendez tragedy United States Senator

Written by Nina Bookout

You may also like

A Charter School With No Human Teachers

The Vivek Clash On Immigration Obscures A Relevant Issue

MSNBC Viewers May Need An Intervention.