Posted on 06/14/2003 12:17:34 PM PDT by No Dems 2004
Did Gallup tilt its annual values poll to present a pro-homosexual case to the American people? After coming across a Quinnipiac University poll released this month, Ive concluded that either Gallup had a fluke poll, or they intentionally skewed the results to make it look like America is rapidly becoming pro-homosexual. Gallups timing was curiously coincidental, considering the pending US Supreme Court on the Texas sodomy law, which criminalizes consensual homosexual sex in the Lone Star State.
Consider. Gallup likes to release a values poll every May, including annual assessments on controversial issues like abortion, homosexuality and the death penalty. In May 2002, by a margin of 55%-38%, Americans regarded homosexuality as morally wrong, and 43% felt that homosexual relations between 2 consenting adults should be illegal, while 52% felt they should be legal. That was very close to what Americans said in May 2001. But, in May 2003, all of the sudden, we had this sharp rise in pro-homosexuality that really made me wonder when I read it. A majority of Americans still regarded homosexuality as morally wrong in the 2003 poll, but only by a margin of 52%-44%. And, all of the sudden, a whopping 60% felt that homosexual relations between consenting adults should be legal, while only 35% (a sharp drop of 8 points) felt that it should not be legal. The poll also claimed that Americans were slightly more tolerant of same-sex civil unions and homosexual adoptions than in previous years. Clearly, something didnt sound right. How could there be such a sharp change during only one year, when so-called gay rights havent been all that much in the news, except for the pending US Supreme Court ruling on the Texas sodomy law?
Well, after perusing the results in the respected, un-conservative Quinnipiac University poll (conducted between June 4 and 9 2003), I felt vindicated for doubting this wild swing in the Gallup poll. For starters, Quinnipiac asked the question In general, do you personally believe that homosexual behavior is morally acceptable or morally wrong? While this was essentially the same question asked in Gallup, the response was dramatically different: 58% said wrong, while only 31% said acceptable with a further 11% undecided. And now for the US Supreme Court-related question: Do you think homosexual relations between consenting adults should or should not be legal? Only 50% said legal, while 38% said illegal and 12% were undecided. Clearly, 50% is a big difference from 60%. Quinnipiac also found a very similar result when they asked this question only amongst the Pennsylvania voters in the wake of the Senator Santorum controversy: 45% said legal and 35% said illegal and by a margin of 58%-27% they felt homosexuality was morally wrong.
One important point to be made here is that opinion polls are somewhat subjective when it comes to hot button issues like homosexuality and abortion. I remember reading that, during the attempt to repeal Miami-Dades pro-homosexual ordinance about a year ago, pro-gay polling firms claimed that the repeal effort was trailing by solid double-digit margins. But, one of the pollsters cautioned against reading too much into the poll because, he said, people are afraid to acknowledge their anti-homosexual views in an opinion poll. In the end, the pro-family movement almost repealed the law, getting a stunning 47% of the vote in favor of the repeal on a day when most of the voters were showing up to vote in a Democratic primary giving it a leftward tilt. Pro-family groups insisted that, if it hadnt been a Democratic-leaning voting day, the homosexuals would have lost the battle, even in South Floridas Miami-Dade. Often, it can be that the self-professed undecideds are in fact very decided, but just afraid to admit their pro-family views.
Heres a couple of other findings in the Quinnipiac poll:
Regional breakdown for Americans regarding homosexuality as morally wrong:
Northeast: 43%
Midwest: 60%
South: 66%
West: 56%
Regional breakdown for Americans feeling that homosexual relations between consenting adults should be legal:
Northeast: 62%
Midwest: 41%
South: 46%
West: 56%
Regional breakdown for Americans feeling that homosexual relations between consenting adults should NOT be legal:
Northeast: 27%
Midwest: 45%
South: 42%
West: 34%
(Ill bet that a lot of undecideds would have sided with the pro-family stance on consensual sodomy)
While you are correct that the members of the USSC are "immune" to consequenses of making a ruling that is contrary to popular opinion, as they are appointed and not elected, I do beleive that on more than one occasion the USSC has indeed sited the legal concept of "local morality" in its decisions.
I beleieve what the writer was attempting to convey was that a strong poll showing the "majority" of the nation in favor of, or at least not opposed to a certain practice, could have an affect on the decision by the USSC.
If I somehow misread what you were trying to say please excuse me. :)
However, biased polls are but one tool that the homosexuals and special interest groups will use to insist that "everyone" thinks that what they do is alright.
Revisionist history.
One of the reasons the anti-gay referendum lost was because of the criminal and immoral conduct of the anti-gay leaders, such as falsifying signatures and tampering with witnesses.
Another reason was the false propaganda spouted by the anti-gay leaders when the Miami-Dade non-discrimination ordinance first passed. Among other fibs, the anti-gay leaders claimed that transvestites will be forced to be hired at Christian bookstores, and homosexual men will be using the ladies' washrooms, among other Chicken Little predictions.
The voters were repulsed by the "Christian" right's tactics.
I dont know how to break it to you but you may be fretting over nothing. There is likely no statistically significant difference between the findings in 2002 and 2003. The one exception might be the 60% feeling that homosexual relations should be legal. You left out the sample sizes for both surveys so its impossible to say whether the differnces noted are statistically significant or not.
For example on the question of whether homosexuality is morally wrong. In 2002 the percentages were 55% vs. 38%. In 2003, the percentages were 52% vs. 44%. There is no significant difference in the percentage stating its immoral. However, you need a sample size of about 1000 each for the 38% and 44% saying that it is moral to be significantly different at 95% confidence.
Also fact that homosexuality hasnt been in the news much lately could be cause for more tolerant views. The more in your face the extreme gays are, the more likely those polled are to say homosexuality is wrong and should be illegal.
Also in comparing results, you have to take into consideration how the questions were worded and what other questions were asked prior to asking these questions. Also you want to make sure that the universe polled is the same.
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