A new phone and a strange call

Yay! Today I finally received my LG Voyager in the mail. Had to order it twice and call Verizon customer service a few times, but it's here and it's great! Not only does it have a beautiful touch screen and full keyboard, but i love how the phone vibrates when using the touch screen.


The morning after I received this phone, my deep sleep was interrupted by an unfamiliar ring tone. My father called to ask what he said was a very important question: "How many states are in the United States?" I thought this was an odd thing to call about, but my answer was that there are 50 states. I thought that the answer to this question was common knowledge to just about every American that passed the 3rd grade, but I was very wrong. It turns out my dad was up against 5 people telling him that there were not 50 states in the U.S., but that there were 52. I couldn't believe my sister, her boyfriend, my dad's girlfriend, her father and a priest had no idea how many states our country is comprised of. I decided to take a little nap and then start an investigation of my own. Here is a map of the U.S. to prove the accuracy of my answer:
I questioned 6 of my housemates, 5 of them said 50 immediately and begged me to let her google it and when I refused to let her she said there were 52. I called my mother, and sadly both she and my step dad both thought that there were 52 states. My mother was completely convinced that she had gone to school for 12 years and that she was always taught that there were 52 states. Luckily, 3 of my younger siblings were home that day for her to question along with a few of their friends. All 7 children in the house were questioned separately and all knew the correct answer; So don't worry the school system is teaching children something. When you search online for the 52 states there are a surprising number of people who really think there are 52 states. My favorite thread would have to be this one. In conclusion, I think that I need to find smarter friends and family! I am joking, kind of.