Jason Howard Green

Jason Howard Green

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Who's Supporting Same Sex Marriage?

I have to report this but I feel like I need to preference it with this statement - I hardly ever believe polls. Polls can be skewed to say whatever the poller wants them to say. And even polls that are from reputable organizations like CNN or Gallup they still don't always reflect the truth (just look at how often they were wrong in our last presidential election).

According to a new poll by CNN, the majority of American don't support same sex marriage. Fifty-four percent of people polled in the CNN Opinion Research Corporation poll say marriages between gays and lesbians should not be recognized as valid. The poll also goes on to say that there is a vast generational difference between supporters and non-supporters.

According to the poll results "among those 18 to 34 years old, 58 percent said same-sex marriages should be legal. That number drops to 42 percent among respondents aged 35 to 49, and to 41 percent for those aged 50 to 64. Only 24 percent of Americans 65 and older support recognizing same-sex marriages, according to the poll."

The poll also reported that it's not surprising that the first states to approve same-sex marriage are mostly New England states. CNN Polling Director Keating Holland says, "a majority of people who live in the Northeast say they approve of same-sex marriage. Solid majorities in the South, Midwest and West all oppose gay marriage."

I have to say this again - I don't always pay attention to polls because who's to say if they're corrector not. But I am a huge follower of CNN and I believe they would be a group that tries for fair and accurate reporting. So what if this is true? What if the majority of Americans oppose same sex marriage? Does mean that we shouldn't go forward with our mission for marriage equality? No it doesn't. This poll doesn't change a thing. The leadership of this country needs to be doing the right thing not the popular thing. Should we have waited for the majority of Americans to approve abolishing slavery? Should women's suffrage been pushed back until it had the popular vote? There comes a time when things have to be done because they are the right thing. Not because it makes you look good. Not because it's what everyone else is thinking. Do it because it's the right thing to do!

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