Today's lesson: Spin

[libertango]

"New poll indicates nearly 40 million Americans oppose phrase 'Under God'."

Well... OK. That's not how the headline reads. Instead it reads, "Poll: Americans Overwhelmingly Favor 'Under God' ".

It then goes on to say: "The survey showed that 87 percent support the phrase and 54 percent think the government should not avoid promoting religion. Additionally, 60 percent think that government leaders making public expressions of faith in God is good for the nation."

So, if you're among the 37 million (13% of 287 million in the country, according to the Census Bureau) who don't approve of "Under God", or the 132 million (46% of 287 million) who think the administration should obey the Constitution and not promote religion, or the 115 million (40% of 287 million) who think public expressions of faith while in office may be a bad idea... well, um, too bad, I guess.

Unless the Court -- assuming this makes its way up to the Supreme Court -- acknowledges that the Constitution means what it says, and agrees with the 9th Circuit in striking "Under God" down.

But I love the implication that 40 million US citizens somehow "aren't enough" to be considered, or that just because 54% of people think the Constitution under which they live is wrong on this subject that illegally overturning it would somehow be a good idea... No, no, really. Can't you tell?

After all, 37 million is only equal to the populations of California and Nevada combined... {cough}

Comments

Re: Good points

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I love the way people conclude that if you don't agree with them, than you must not have read the same source material.

Check you fed papers and find out if its still okay for me to disagree with you in this country.

I guess you'll just have to pardon me if I tend to vilify these men who made a nation out of "nothing". That nothing being land which was usurped from people who had lived on it peacefully, filled with people who had defected from England then went on to propagate thier injustices on people who were not able to defend themselves.

Re: Good points

[torch.livejournal.com]

i assume that you haven't read the source material since you are representing firstly a lack of understanding of the politics regarding slavery during the creation of the constitution, which is evidenced by your ignorance of the fact that a majority of the founding fathers wanted to abolish slavery (see any discussions of the 3/5ths clause for some evidence). secondly, you flat out said that you haven't read enough to come to a definite conclusion on the issue of the ideals of the founders. i hope you can understand how this would lead me to believe that you haven't read anything but some textbooks which gloss over some of the finer issues. if i'm wrong, i'd like to know how you have so grossly misinterpreted the benevolence of hamilton and madison.

at any rate, yes, it is fine for you to disagree with me, but that statement implies something: it implies that simply because you can have your own opinion, that opinion must have some truth to it. however, when you state things that are plainly not true (all the fathers were pro-slavery, pro-witch-burning, pro-war), i feel it necessary to point out that you are wrong.

finally, i refuse to argue against the idea that the founders were horrible people that slaughtered indians, because it is a fuzzy issue. did indians get masscred during the founders' lifetimes? of course. was it government sponsored? sometimes. but colonists were also friendly to indians as well. it was a case by case basis. hell.. the iroquois supported the colonists so much, they fought on their side against the french. furthermore, when the american revolution occurred, the iroquois tribes individually chose sides, because they agreed with one side or the other. this wasn't an example of white men killing indians, but indians choosing to die by the sides of white men.

Re: Good points

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Perhaps you should look up the word "usurp". It doesn't have anything to do with slaughter.

Like many people, I learned about government in public schools. If that means I have not learned the truth on a great many things...who is responsible for that?

Relax guy, take a rest. I'm just a regular person who expressed an opinion based on the information they had recieved. If that means I have opened myself up to the tirades of strangers, I guess that is part of living in a country with free speech. But if I see the founding fathers as a bunch of hyppocrites, than that is my opinion so again I say RELAX...