Poll: Most Americans oppose same-sex marriage

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Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
From CNN:

Quote:

By a margin of 55 to 41 percent, those polled agreed with the statement that "if gays are allowed to marry, the institution of marriage will be degraded."



Of course, most Americans oppose smoking. Most Americans oppose drinking. Most americans (by a wide margin) oppose guns.



There was a time when most Americans opposed interraciual marriage. Most Americans opposed the abolition of slavery. Most Americans opposed women's suffrage.



You can't make laws based on what "most people" believe in. That's the very foundation of freedom.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 23
    That will happen... It's just a question of time ;-)

    Additionally, I have some gay friends (around 45 yo), living together since ever, that tried hard to adopt a young child. They never could and that will remain a pain in their lives.



    That will happen too. 'just a question of time ;-)
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  • Reply 2 of 23
    existenceexistence Posts: 991member
    I have read that in 1958, national polls showed only 4% of those polled [whites] favored interracial marriage.



    We're come a long way but there's a long way to go.
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  • Reply 3 of 23
    Just to add a piece in the long run...



    After the wave of Gay Marriage in the US, some French lawyers discovered that nothing explicitly stated (in Law texts) that a wedding was exclusively between two persons of opposite sex.



    Although there is a special and very legal contract for gays (and others -> Heteros who don't want to get married for any personal reasons ? the PACS) this is an occasion to relaunch the debate of an explicit equality between Hetero and Homo couples (lovers).



    Many approved (The Mayor of Paris is Gay (left), the actual Cultural Minister is too (right), and many others... Actually there is a lot of gay political personalities that are gays in France... ;-) )



    Remember, we are Frogs ;-))))
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  • Reply 4 of 23
    aquaticaquatic Posts: 5,602member
    I just thought about it, and guess what, I oppose an amendment supporting Same Sex Marriage. And I'm a socialist! Why you might ask? Government has no business in religion. Bush loves to violate that amendment daily with his vouchers and Under God... and "God supports what we're doing in Iraq" etc. All the government is responsible for is legal rights. America at the federal level should adopt Vermont's Civil Unions policy. Religion is a private institution damnit! Just like the Boy Scouts, if they want to hate gays they can. If the KKK wants to march around, they can. It's really simple. It's a legal matter and the Constitution spells it out pretty clearly.
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  • Reply 5 of 23
    trumptmantrumptman Posts: 16,464member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by tonton

    From CNN:



    Of course, most Americans oppose smoking. Most Americans oppose drinking. Most americans (by a wide margin) oppose guns.



    There was a time when most Americans opposed interraciual marriage. Most Americans opposed the abolition of slavery. Most Americans opposed women's suffrage.



    You can't make laws based on what "most people" believe in. That's the very foundation of freedom.




    I oppose smoking. I'm glad to see multiple limits placed on it.



    I've never read a poll that say most Americans oppose drinking. I've read polls that say most Americans oppose drinking and driving for example, but not just drinking. If anything I've seen multiple polls that claim support for legalized marijuana.



    I've never even read that most Americans opposed the abolition of slavery. If the majority of Americans had supported slavery, why the 3/5ths compromise in the Constitution? Probably because they had to agree to disagree. I would bet that a majority of Americans at the time thought blacks inferior to whites. But I've never read that slavery had wide support outside of the South.



    If most Americans opposed women's sufferage, then how did they ever get the vote? Certainly they didnt vote it in for themselves. In fact since it require a Constitutional Amendment, I would say it had to have overwhelming support.



    As for your little saying at the end, if you can't make laws for what a majority believe, then why a minority? One group decides they want to change the definition of a word. Part of free speech is that you don't get to tell me what I have to believe or what words must mean to me. If I want to decide that for myself it isn't hateful. It isn't bigotry. It is my right.



    Nick
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  • Reply 6 of 23
    kraig911kraig911 Posts: 912member
    polls are ridiculous... did it say where the survey was taken? number of pollers? what questions were asked, how they paraphrased the question? One thing is for sure our system of how law comes to pass is great, because people vote with a paper trail, whatever law is enacted in the house was enacted by the people 'cuz WE put them there. One way or another.



    As for polls I can't stand them, ask about a polling ranker for a metro market for radio stations, TV shows, and stuff and they can ask all sorts of questions and still never get you the info you'd like. I remember once, the poll was worded for the daily show of friends, it was worded such as. "with all the other shows out there daily on TV, which would one would you choose, (A, Friends, B Mash, C, (other stupid sitcom nobody ever watched,) D (same situation), they worded it in that all the other values where completely out of demo, and let me tell you most Polls are worded the same. Yes there are exceptions, and those exceptions are the reason people still do polls.
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  • Reply 7 of 23
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by trumptman

    As for your little saying at the end, if you can't make laws for what a majority believe, then why a minority? One group decides they want to change the definition of a word. Part of free speech is that you don't get to tell me what I have to believe or what words must mean to me. If I want to decide that for myself it isn't hateful. It isn't bigotry. It is my right.



    Your venom doesn't help support your case.



    In this case a minority isn't making a law based on what they believe, the Constitution is protecting a minority from the illegal behavior of the masses.
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  • Reply 8 of 23
    groveratgroverat Posts: 10,872member
    Quote:

    If the majority of Americans had supported slavery, why the 3/5ths compromise in the Constitution?



    The 3/5ths compromise had absolutely nothing at all to do with the abolition or support of slavery. Nothing at all.



    If Hitler was Austrian, then why does asparagus make your pee smell funny?



    Quote:

    As for your little saying at the end, if you can't make laws for what a majority believe, then why a minority?



    We make law based on the Constitution, not the "majority" or "minority".
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  • Reply 9 of 23
    isushiisushi Posts: 32member
    This is why there are courts and laws are not determined constitutional or unconstitutional by popular vote.
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  • Reply 10 of 23
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by tonton

    ...



    You can't make laws based on what "most people" believe in. That's the very foundation of freedom.






    OF COURSE you can. Rights keep us safe from the tyranny of the majority. But laws are passed by the majority.
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  • Reply 11 of 23
    shawnjshawnj Posts: 6,656member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Aquatic

    And I'm a socialist!



    You're a socialist too?
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  • Reply 12 of 23
    trumptmantrumptman Posts: 16,464member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by bunge

    Your venom doesn't help support your case.



    In this case a minority isn't making a law based on what they believe, the Constitution is protecting a minority from the illegal behavior of the masses.




    Have to mischaracterize what you can't argue against I suppose.



    As for what the Constitution protects, since the equal protection clause is teh 14th AMENDMENT, and was passed by large MAJORITIES, I would say that claiming the Constitution automatically protects or supports whatever you happen to want it to is akin to wishing on a star.



    Nick
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  • Reply 13 of 23
    trumptmantrumptman Posts: 16,464member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by groverat

    The 3/5ths compromise had absolutely nothing at all to do with the abolition or support of slavery. Nothing at all.



    If Hitler was Austrian, then why does asparagus make your pee smell funny?







    We make law based on the Constitution, not the "majority" or "minority".




    We make laws based on the majority. However the majority does not have the ability to take away certain rights.



    As for your other mutterings, try to cite something or lay off the booze when posting so you make some sense. Any material you care to look up will cite that the three-fifths compromise was about getting support from the South to join the Union while making the North feel slavery was contained and on a path to extinction.



    Nick
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  • Reply 14 of 23
    tmptmp Posts: 601member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by trumptman

    As for your other mutterings, try to cite something or lay off the booze when posting so you make some sense.



    Gee wasn't there someone here recently railing against ad hominem attacks? Too bad they're not here now.





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  • Reply 15 of 23
    ipodandimacipodandimac Posts: 3,273member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by tonton

    From CNN:



    Of course, most Americans oppose smoking. Most Americans oppose drinking. Most americans (by a wide margin) oppose guns.



    There was a time when most Americans opposed interraciual marriage. Most Americans opposed the abolition of slavery. Most Americans opposed women's suffrage.



    You can't make laws based on what "most people" believe in. That's the very foundation of freedom.




    interesting, the poll i read showed the margin as being 90-10, in opposition to gay marriage. oh wait, maybe it was 80-20, or 70-30, 68-32... you get my point.
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  • Reply 16 of 23
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by trumptman

    Have to mischaracterize what you can't argue against I suppose.



    As for what the Constitution protects, since the equal protection clause is teh 14th AMENDMENT, and was passed by large MAJORITIES, I would say that claiming the Constitution automatically protects or supports whatever you happen to want it to is akin to wishing on a star.




    Your spite really keeps you from making any sense. Feel free to be a bit more explicit.
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  • Reply 17 of 23
    groveratgroverat Posts: 10,872member
    Quote:

    Any material you care to look up will cite that the three-fifths compromise was about getting support from the South to join the Union while making the North feel slavery was contained and on a path to extinction.



    The 3/5ths compromise was about representation in federal government, not abolition.



    The Southern states wanted slaves to count as a full person towards population. The Northern states did not want slaves to count at all towards population.
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  • Reply 18 of 23
    OK that's an odd question.



    I believe that gays should be allowed to get "married" legally. As in civil unions.



    I don't think the Church should marry gays. (I am Catholic).
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  • Reply 19 of 23
    Now that I think about it, I believe that there should not be such thing as legal marriage. It should be exclusively a religious thing.



    The state should treat everyone equally, single or married.
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  • Reply 20 of 23
    kraig911kraig911 Posts: 912member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by soulcrusher

    Now that I think about it, I believe that there should not be such thing as legal marriage. It should be exclusively a religious thing.



    The state should treat everyone equally, single or married.




    thats a great idea, unfortunately it'll never pass with the way the system is laid out.
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