A Congress of Baboons?

So what do baboons and Congress have to do with each other? Apparently nothing.

That's right, a viral image you may have seen floating around Facebook relating baboons to our government is wrong. In fact, this isn't the first time this false image has made the rounds. Politifact.com, a website dedicated to fact-checking all things politics, took it upon themselves to find out for sure back in 2012. They turned to a lexicographer and some prominent scientists for answers. Sure enough, a group of baboons is sometimes called a rumpus and most often a troop, but never a congress. Whoever made the meme in the first place was either mistaken or just trying to mess with a lot of gullible people.

Regardless, a lot of people seem to like comparing Congress to a group of baboons, and by all means, you can do just that. But do you really want to insult the baboons that way? According to what Politifact learned about them, baboons are pretty smart, sophisticated, and actually less dangerous than chimpanzees (and definitely less so than that other famous primate: humans).

So keep this one in mind every time you see a political meme, or any meme, on Facebook; even if you really like the meme, it might not be accurate. THINK BEFORE YOU SHARE.