Let's Call Africa Africa!

I'm still backing Sarah Palin for the 2012 presidential race, even though she apparently thinks Africa is a country.

Let me tell you this, I've been teaching school for several years now and I promise you that despite the best efforts of our geography teachers about 87 percent of US high school grads share Palin's belief that Africa is a country.

I think it's time we just declare Africa a country and be done with this issue. We already have South Africa, right? Certainly if there is a country called South Africa, there must be a country called plain old Africa. After all, we have a state called West Virginia and nobody would think for even a fleeting moment that Virginia was anything other than a state itself.

No one can keep track of those oddly named countries that make up most of continental Africa anyway. From what I gather they all pretty much share the same problems of disease, corruption, and economic chaos.

Further, the label "African American" would make a lot more sense. Us white guys don't get called a "European American." We get labels like "Irish American" or "Italian American." Give the whole continent that generic country name of "Africa" and, bam, problem solved.

And finally, this one little change would instantly make our high school grads just that much smarter.

Only trying to be helpful.