Poll: 6 in 10 Americans too scared to share political views

[StLucieBengal]

http://www.dailywire.com/news/23014/poll-6-10-americans-too-scared-share-political-joseph-curl

Found a few things in here quite interesting and pertinent to the board culture.

Quote:POLL: 6 In 10 Americans Too Scared To Share Political Views

Joseph CurlNovember 1, 2017

getty images
With the holiday season fast approaching (Halloween has passed so look for Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations to go up any day now), Americans across the country are no doubt beginning to dread the dining room table talk that comes along with the festivities.

But in 2017, it's even worse.

Nearly 6 in 10 (58%) of those surveyed for a new poll agreed that the "political climate prevents them from sharing their political beliefs."

The survey by the Cato Institute found that 73% of Republicans said "they keep some of their political beliefs to themselves." Fifty-eight percent of independents also keep views to themselves, while 53% of Democrats did so, the poll found.

What's more, a whopping 71% of those polled "believe that political correctness has silenced important discussions our society needs to have," the survey found.

Americans also don't on what speech can be defined as hateful as opposed to a political opinion, Cato found.

59% of liberals say it’s hate speech to say transgender people have a mental disorder; only 17% of conservatives agree.
39% of conservatives believe it’s hate speech to say the police are racist; only 17% of liberals agree.
80% of liberals say it’s hateful or offensive to say illegal immigrants should be deported; only 36% of conservatives agree.
87% of liberals say it’s hateful or offensive to say women shouldn’t fight in military combat roles, while 47% of conservatives agree.
90% of liberals say it’s hateful or offensive to say homosexuality is a sin, while 47% of conservatives agree.
America is almost even split among the two primary parties. In 2016, President Trump won 46% of the vote, Hillary Clinton 48% (although Trump won the electoral vote 57-42). In 2012, it was 51-47; in 2008, 53-45; in 2004 51-48; and in 2000, the year of the "hanging chad," it was 48.38 to 47.87.

But the 2016 election was perhaps the most divisive election in the last 20 years, with both sides demonizing the other.

And that's going to make for some rather unpleasant conversation around the dinner table come the holidays. Unless everyone just plays with their smart phones.

[StLucieBengal]

Quote: Americans also don't on what speech can be defined as hateful as opposed to a political opinion , Cato found.

1. 59% of liberals say it’s hate speech to say transgender people have a mental disorder; only 17% of conservatives agree.

2. 39% of conservatives believe it’s hate speech to say the police are racist; only 17% of liberals agree.

3. 80% of liberals say it’s hateful or offensive to say illegal immigrants should be deported; only 36% of conservatives agree.

4. 87% of liberals say it’s hateful or offensive to say women shouldn’t fight in military combat roles, while 47% of conservatives agree.

5. 90% of liberals say it’s hateful or offensive to say homosexuality is a sin, while 47% of conservatives agree.

Maybe some need to take a step back and realize that these issues aren’t so cut and dry on either end.

[GMDino]

I just said in another thread that too many people tiptoe around simply stating their beliefs and dealing with the fallout.

Even on an anonymous (such as it is) board.

If you want to defend transgender stand up and say it.

If you want to defend police stand up and say it.

If you want to attack either stand up and say it.

If you only what white people living around you or getting into the US stand up and say it.

Then deal with the consequences.

[StLucieBengal]

(11-01-2017, 11:14 AM)GMDino Wrote: I just said in another thread that too many people tiptoe around simply stating their beliefs and dealing with the fallout.

Even on an anonymous (such as it is) board.

If you want to defend transgender stand up and say it.

If you want to defend police stand up and say it.

If you want to attack either stand up and say it.

If you only what white people living around you or getting into the US stand up and say it.

Then deal with the consequences.

The point being hate speech is not the same as political opinion. Maybe this is a lesson that should be learned around here. Would be a lot less pot shots at each other and more discussions on topic.

[Belsnickel]

(11-01-2017, 11:20 AM)StLucieBengal Wrote: The point being hate speech is not the same as political opinion. Maybe this is a lesson that should be learned around here. Would be a lot less pot shots at each other and more discussions on topic.

That list about things being hate speech, all but one are just differences in opinion and I would not agree to being hate speech. One, however, is just ignoring medical professional standards and is extremely harmful, so I do consider it to be hate speech because it isn't just a difference of political opinions.

[StLucieBengal]

(11-01-2017, 11:29 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: That list about things being hate speech, all but one are just differences in opinion and I would not agree to being hate speech. One, however, is just ignoring medical professional standards and is extremely harmful, so I do consider it to be hate speech because it isn't just a difference of political opinions.

These medical standards you stand behind are from a group that has highly politized this issue when they changed it and the change has been refuted over and over throughout the profession.

What you fail to realize and accept is that there are a lot of people who just don’t buy into all that nonsense.

Here is what you should be considering .

41% of liberals agree with me on this issue

83% of conservatives agree with me on this issue.

That’s a big chunk and one that should be recognized and at least respected while we discuss and most likely agree to disagree at the end. It’s just not hate speech.... it’s a difference of political opinion.... which is wonderful.

[Belsnickel]

(11-01-2017, 11:36 AM)StLucieBengal Wrote: These medical standards you stand behind are from a group that has highly politized this issue when they changed it and the change has been refuted over and over throughout the profession.

What you fail to realize and accept is that there are a lot of people who just don’t buy into all that nonsense.

Here is what you should be considering .

41% of liberals agree with me on this issue

83% of conservatives agree with me on this issue.

That’s a big chunk and one that should be recognized and at least respected while we discuss and most likely agree to disagree at the end. It’s just not hate speech.... it’s a difference of political opinion.... which is wonderful.

Saying a group has a medical disorder is not a difference of political opinion. You are trying to diagnose a community of people you have never met more than a handful of, have no intimate knowledge of, with no medical training, and not according to the professional standards. Do you know when it is appropriate to say someone has a mental disorder? Really, the answer is never because it's none of your damn business, but even if it was it would only be appropriate when the individual is diagnosed with one by a medical professional.

By trying to make it a political issue, you turn it into hate speech because you are essentially weaponizing the issue to take away the civil rights and liberties of a group.

[GMDino]

(11-01-2017, 11:36 AM)StLucieBengal Wrote: These medical standards you stand behind are from a group that has highly politized this issue when they changed it and the change has been refuted over and over throughout the profession.  

What you fail to realize and accept is that there are a lot of people who just don’t buy into all that nonsense.  

Here is what you should be considering .  

41% of liberals agree with me on this issue

83% of conservatives agree with me on this issue.  

That’s a big chunk and one that should be recognized and at least respected while we discuss and most likely agree to disagree at the end.   It’s just not hate speech.... it’s a difference of political opinion.... which is wonderful.

http://news.gallup.com/poll/163697/approve-marriage-blacks-whites.aspx

Quote:In U.S., 87% Approve of Black-White Marriage, vs. 4% in 1958
by Frank Newport

Ninety-six percent of blacks, 84% of whites approve

PRINCETON, NJ -- Continuing to represent one of the largest shifts of public opinion in Gallup history, 87% of Americans now favor marriage between blacks and whites, up from 4% in 1958.


These data are from Gallup's Minority Rights and Relations poll, conducted June 13-July 5. The poll surveyed 4,373 Americans, including 1,010 non-Hispanic blacks.

Approval of marriages between blacks and whites is up one percentage point from 2011, when this attitude was last measured. Approval has generally increased in a linear fashion from Gallup's first measure in 1958, reaching the majority threshold in 1997, and crossing the three-quarters line in 2004. Eleven percent of Americans today say they disapprove of black-white marriage, compared with 94% who disapproved in 1958.


Blacks' approval of black-white marriage (96%) is now nearly universal, while whites' approval is 12 percentage points lower, at 84%. Blacks' approval has consistently been higher than whites' over the decades, although attitudes among both racial groups have generally moved in a parallel manner since 1968 -- when Gallup first was able to report reliable estimates of each group's opinion. The gap between black approval and white approval in recent years has been smaller than it was prior to 1997.

[*Nately120*]

In my mind discussing politics/religion is less about finding people who agree with your stance on the issues and more about finding someone who agrees on the manner by which discussion is approached/accepted. A lot of people can proudly state their views on something and then become very offended or defensive when you ask why they believe what they believe. It's quite interesting.

I would jokingly relate it to me saying "Oh, I'm a huge Beatles fan and I love them and they're the best" and then getting shocked or offended if someone asked me which of their albums is my favorite, or why I even like them. Personally, I like it when people ask me why I believe what I believe because it gives me a chance to elaborate on my views, as well as practice and refine them. Sometimes you have to hear yourself say something out loud before it really clicks, anyways.

But anyways, it's quite astounding that we can base our entire lives around something we love to divulge but hate to discuss.

[*bfine32*]

I think/know there are those on this board that avoid this forum because they prefer not to be called names for sharing their political opinion.

[*Nately120*]

(11-01-2017, 12:09 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I think/know there are those on this board that avoid this forum because they prefer not to be called names for sharing their political opinion.

I thought Trump was elected because this country was sick and tired of having to treat each other with respect.  No matter what side of the political coin you are on, you have to admit calling people dumb is a winning move.

[StLucieBengal]

(11-01-2017, 12:09 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I think/know there are those on this board that avoid this forum because they prefer not to be called names for sharing their political opinion.

It’s unfortunate and just wrong that anyone should be called names over a message board post.

[StLucieBengal]

(11-01-2017, 11:48 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: Saying a group has a medical disorder is not a difference of political opinion. You are trying to diagnose a community of people you have never met more than a handful of, have no intimate knowledge of, with no medical training, and not according to the professional standards. Do you know when it is appropriate to say someone has a mental disorder? Really, the answer is never because it's none of your damn business, but even if it was it would only be appropriate when the individual is diagnosed with one by a medical professional.

By trying to make it a political issue, you turn it into hate speech because you are essentially weaponizing the issue to take away the civil rights and liberties of a group.

Dear lord man. You should switch to decafe

The science isn’t in ..... medical opinions on this matter aren’t as clear cut as you make it out. Many have come out that this decision was politicized and not based on medical fact.

[Belsnickel]

(11-01-2017, 12:26 PM)Nately120 Wrote: I thought Trump was elected because this country was sick and tired of having to treat each other with respect.  No matter what side of the political coin you are on, you have to admit calling people dumb is a winning move.

This does raise an interesting point. We are seeing the same people that complain about "political correctness" and being policed on the appropriateness of their words crying foul for the very thing they complain about from one side of their mouth.

I'm a proponent of more civility in political discourse, but we can't talk out of both sides of our mouths. We can have arguments without it turning into petty name calling or calling each other names (to include the dreaded -isms). Bfine and I went round and round yesterday, but it stayed civil. It can be done, we just need to work harder at it.

[Belsnickel]

(11-01-2017, 12:39 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Dear lord man. You should switch to decafe

The science isn’t in ..... medical opinions on this matter aren’t as clear cut as you make it out. Many have come out that this decision was politicized and not based on medical fact.

None of what you said here matters to what I said. Are you qualified, through professional certification and through interaction with all of the individuals involved, to diagnose the trans community wholesale with a mental disorder?

Side note: The addition of GID/GD to begin with was seen as politicized, so trying to use the reclassification claim being politicized is worthless.

[*Nately120*]

(11-01-2017, 12:39 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: This does raise an interesting point. We are seeing the same people that complain about "political correctness" and being policed on the appropriateness of their words crying foul for the very thing they complain about from one side of their mouth.

I'm a proponent of more civility in political discourse, but we can't talk out of both sides of our mouths. We can have arguments without it turning into petty name calling or calling each other names (to include the dreaded -isms). Bfine and I went round and round yesterday, but it stayed civil. It can be done, we just need to work harder at it.

Shel Silverstein summed it up best:

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(11-01-2017, 11:36 AM)StLucieBengal Wrote: These medical standards you stand behind are from a group that has highly politized this issue when they changed it and the change has been refuted over and over throughout the profession.

What you fail to realize and accept is that there are a lot of people who just don’t buy into all that nonsense.

Here is what you should be considering .

41% of liberals agree with me on this issue

83% of conservatives agree with me on this issue.

That’s a big chunk and one that should be recognized and at least respected while we discuss and most likely agree to disagree at the end. It’s just not hate speech.... it’s a difference of political opinion.... which is wonderful.

The bold part is complete bullshit. DSM-V is the consensus medical standard and is not based upon politics. All of the counter arguments you have presented can be traced back to a very small minority of conservative Christians who masquerade as a professional medical organization.

[BmorePat87]

Quote:59% of liberals say it’s hate speech to say transgender people have a mental disorder; only 17% of conservatives agree.
80% of liberals say it’s hateful or offensive to say illegal immigrants should be deported; only 36% of conservatives agree.
87% of liberals say it’s hateful or offensive to say women shouldn’t fight in military combat roles, while 47% of conservatives agree.
90% of liberals say it’s hateful or offensive to say homosexuality is a sin, while 47% of conservatives agree.

In case any Republican strategists are hiding out here, this is why I am no longer a registered Republican.

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(11-01-2017, 12:39 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Dear lord man. You should switch to decafe

The science isn’t in ..... medical opinions on this matter aren’t as clear cut as you make it out. Many have come out that this decision was politicized and not based on medical fact.

The standard for the entire medical community is in DSM-V.

Period.

[Dill]

(11-01-2017, 12:34 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: It’s unfortunate and just wrong that anyone should be called names over a message board post.

I'm with you on that one, Lucy.