A Normal Quiz

Do you know what that graph represents?

As a Psychology/Sociology major in college, I had to deal with this type of graph extensively.

The "standard normal distribution" is the normal distribution with a mean of zero and a standard deviation of one (the green curves in the plots to the right). It is often called the bell curve because the graph of its probability resembles a bell.

See those little numbers along the bottom? There is a zero in the middle. That represents the point on the graph that is where the most of whatever you are measuring (people, ideas, IQs, pros, cons, etc.) falls.

Let's say you are measuring human characteristics. The further you go to the right or left, the fewer people demonstrate that characteristic.

It is important to realize that the curve measures quantitative results, not qualitative.

In our country, the majority of people work for somebody else.

On the graph, they would be plotted between the -1 and the +1, on the green line, or some such position.

The fortune 500 CEOs would fall close to the +3 mark and the homeless would fall close to the -3 mark...approximately.

Remember, "normal" is a quantitative term...it's about numbers compraed to the "norm."

Homosexuality is not normal behavior.

Homosexuals would fall in either the +2 or -2 section of the graph, depending on how one arranged the numbers.

Murder is not normal behavior.

Murderers would fall close to the +3 or -3 section of the graph.

Pollsters use these types of graphs to determine where the issue they'r polling fall in relation the the "norm."

There are many other uses for this type of graph, but for the purposes of this post, that is enough to know.

Would you consider a member of NAMBLA to be a "normal" person?

They would have you believe they are.

But they would fall in the +4 or -4 section of the graph. Definately NOT normal.

By the way, NAMBLA stands for: North American Man/Boy Love Association.

Keeping all of that in mind, here is a quiz for you (each question is multiple choice and has two answers):

1. What Congress person wants to be Speaker of the House and gladly associates with and actively supports NAMBLA?

a. Nancy Pelosi

b. Mark Foley

c. Democrat

d. Republican

2. What member of Congress drove a car into a body of water, escaped, and left the other occupant in the car to die, did not report the incident until the next day and escaped all responsibility for the act?

a. Ted Kennedy

b. Mark Foley

c. Democrat

d. Republican

3. What Lawmaker had actual sexual relations with a young male page, was censured by his comrades, allowed to continue "serving" and held an important chairmanship in his party?

a. Gerry Studds

b. Mark Foley

c. Democrat

d. Republican

4. What leader engaged in actual sexual abborant behavior with an intern, had several extra-marital affairs, was accused of rape by at least two women, was implicated in the deaths of several people who had opposed him and is now seen by his party as "one of our best ever...?"

a. William Jefferson Clinton

b. Mark Foley

c. Democrat

d. Republican

That's probably enough.

Answer in the comments section, if you like.

Here's the thing.

Mark Foley is a sleezeball...a beslubbering, clay-brained, clotpole who should not be in office. Guess what...he isn't!

He is NOT a "normal" Republican.

He would fall in the -4 or + 4 part of the graph, if we were measuring conservatives.

The correct answers to the above quiz, if graphed, would fall very near the "0" on the bell curve if we were measuring liberals.