Fractions

Whenever kids get testy about fractions, I tell them that they just need to love them. "Fractions are awesome. I went out with some fractions last weekend and it was awesome! Love your factions. They loved you first, after all." (This follows the old mantra of "If you can't convince them, confuse them.")

Math is the science of quantity. Math answers the question, "How much?"

In the US constitution and amendments, there are 204 words referring to numbers, out of a total of 7607 words. I did the count myself with the help of wordle.com, so please forgive me if I'm a couple of words off either way. While that's only about 2-3% of the words in the constitution, I would think that it would have been 100% lame without them.

There are a few fractions in the constitution. For the country to grow, this would be quite necessary. For Example, Article 1, Section 5:

Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behavior, and, with the Concurrence of two-thirds, expel a Member.

- End Quote

If they had hard coded in a particular number at the time, it might just take a few senators to expel a member. This would not bode well for today's Senate.

There are other uses of fractions.

US Constitution - Article 1, Section 2

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.

- End Quote

History is confusing... But the math is easy. Simply take the number of people you consider less than human, multiply by three, and divide by five. The resulting number is less than the original number.

But who are these "other persons"? Are they people without health insurance? Are they gays? Are they women who want to have an abortion? Are they kids who can't sit still in school because it's boring? Are they people who are abused by their government because they don't understand how it works? Are they everyone who is not represented by a lobbyist?

Yes, the history of our nation is a confusing road. I remember in college when I professor gave us this quote:

"I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in anyway the social and political equality of the white and black races – that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race. I say upon this occasion I do not perceive that because the white man is to have the superior position the negro should be denied everything."

Abraham Lincoln - Fourth Debate with Stephen A. Douglas at Charleston, Illinois, September 18, 1858

I do keep in mind that this is a politician in a Pre-Civil War debate. It's possible that being racist back then was expected. Maybe it was safer to just fake it.

But, he did say it, and I don't think history validates what he said, despite everything else he did.

Love,

Dave

PS. Do you think it's a coincidence that if you don't get 3/5 of the points in school you fail?

PPSS.. Inet pics...