[Are Americans really that dumb?]
By The Associated Press
Americans doubt that Islam is likelier than other faiths to encourage violence, but their overall view of the religion has worsened over the past five years, a poll revealed on Tuesday.
In a survey that underlined the complex views people have about Muslims, 51 percent agreed that a Muslim center should not be built near the former site of New York’s World Trade Center, compared to 34 percent who said it should be permitted.
Yet at the same time, a majority – 62 percent – said Muslims should have equal rights to build houses of worship. Just 25 percent said communities should be allowed to block the construction of mosques. The poll was conducted by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center.
The poll found that by 42 percent to 35 percent, most think Islam does not incite violence more than other religions, about the same as said so last year.
But more people have unfavorable than favorable views of Islam by 38 percent to 30 percent. In 2005, it was reversed: 41 percent had favorable views, 36 percent unfavorable.
Republicans voiced negative views of Muslims by more than 2-1. Among Democrats, 41 percent had favorable opinions while 27 percent viewed them negatively. Views of Muslims were also unfavorable among independents, older people and those with less education.
The survey was conducted from Aug. 19-22 and involved landline and mobile phone interviews with 1,003 randomly chosen adults. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Pay no attention to any poll conduct by the AP….. They are completely financed & controlled by Muslim interests.
chbd, you are ignorant and a douchebag. Ted, ban this nut.
This time THEY, is Islam; but nice try.
RandyTexas- prior post
THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.
THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
THEN THEY CAME for the Muslims,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Muslim.
THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.
THEN THEY CAME for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up.”
. . . so, are you saying that any race or cultural group that has criminals is the moral equivalent of Islam? Jews flew planes into Wall Street murdering over 3000 people because they were following God’s command? Jews have a holy book that calls for the destruction or subjugation of the whole world by violence? Jews are the most prolific suicide bombers? Jews are developing nuclear weapons to wipe other nations off the map? [O’ I forgot, Jews have had nukes for like, forty years already, but have been so busy making money, they forgot to use them for genocide.]
Back to the drawing board; your comparison doesn’t work.
Laura:
.
Just as I am typing this comment, there is a large gathering of protestors who are vociferously demonstrating against the building of a synogogue 3 blocks from Wall street in Manhattan. Their beef is with the American Jewish community from whose ranks came the Ivan Boeskys, Michael Milkens, Jack Grubmans, Martin Frankels, Marc Richs, Pincus Finkelsteins, Sal Wachsals, Myron Fagans, Marc Driers, Yehuda Belskys, Saul Israels, Arthur Nadels, Bernard Madoffs and the Alan Greenspans. These individuals were largely responsible for scamming and subsequent destruction of the American economy. It is quite possible that the scheming and planning of the looting of America took place in Synogogues such as the one being planned for Wall street.
We should show some modicom of sympathy for the demonstrators whose lives have been shattered by the malevolence of these aliens.
I’m wondering how many of those respondents would still feel that communities can’t block the construction of mosques if any were slated to be built in their neighborhoods. And if the muslim brotherhood was behind the construction of those mosques, assuming they even know that the muslim brotherhood is a terrorist front gang. And if preaching of hate and killing infidels was going on in those mosques.
Martel:
You are correct, Americans are not stupid, but you could be forgiven for thinking they are.
Tangible examples, in a recent pew poll 30% of the U.S. public believe in ghosts, goblins and haunted houses.
Most disturbing is a pew poll taken in June 2010. 33% of respondits believe that G.W. Bush is a Muslim for stating on numerous occasions that we are fighting Muslim terrorism and not the Muslim religion. That is absolutely scandalous.
Other polls have shown that more than 60% of Americans do not want the ground zero mosque built. I would guess this specific poll is out of whack. I find it incredible to believe that most Americans by this time don’t think islam encourages violence more than other religions. If Americans do believe that, then we have a serious problem.
Again, how can so few people, only 38%, have a negative view of islam. People just don’t pay any attention to what’s going on in the world. If Americans aren’t convinced by now that islam is bad, then how is it possible to ever get through to them? How can people still be this clueless 9 years after 9/11. Most of the blame goes to our political leaders and the media. The msm doesn’t report all the horrors committed in the name of islam worldwide. Our political leaders keep insisting islam is a religion of peace.
The poll wants to convey the impression that only stupid people view muslims unfavorably. But having less of a formal education does not mean such people are less informed about current issues. Quite the contrary. The intellectual elites are extremely ignorant about islam. Having a university degree only shows one is knowledgable about the specific area they have a degree in.
Overall this poll is disturbing.
Students today are not smarter or dumber than those in previous generations — just less disciplined. Many have a sense of entitlement that didn’t exist in my generation or that of my parents. It’s natural given their parents’ desire to spoil them and living the good life in a country that produced plentiful jobs and raised living standards for millions. We’re talking complacency — something that is now disappearing given the current economic climate and global competition. My students recognize that a university degree — even an MBA — no longer guarantees a cushy job and lifestyle. They are beginning to work harder and smarter. Not all will successfully adapt and thrive but those days (1950s) are over.
I would say Americans are insular and stupid. That’s a really toxic combination. Unless something disturbs their pockets and ability to buy stuff hey could care less about almost everything including their own national survival. That said I agree with your take on Shenkman and those like him. Are your students smarter or dumber than you and your fellow students were at the same age?
Who sponsored the poll?
J Street!
Who sponsored the poll? Who administered it? What were the precise questions? Without this data, the results mean nothing.
Americans are insular, not stupid. There’s a difference. Many Americans are simply disinterested in the tenets of other cultures, religions, etc. except when threatened by them, e.g., Islam. That actually makes Americans less vulnerable to the multicultural rubbish currently destroying European civilization.
Shenkman measures intelligence by whether a person reads the NY Times. That’s left-wing indoctrination, not knowledge. The largest newspaper by circulation in “enlightened” Britain is News of the World.
They are dumber than you thinK!!!
CNN: How Stupid Are Americans?
Just How Stupid Are Americans? What the data show.
Barney Frank