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avramOK, here’s something to be annoyed about. (We could all use more of that, right?) Thanks to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kathrynt, I looked up this MSNBC story about a recent poll on American attitudes towards gays and the freedom to marry, and then looked up the poll report itself. (This is always a good idea, if you can manage it. Newspapers often leave out important details; television always does.) On page two I found the following information:
Only 14% knew the right answer, and that’s down from 16% in 1985!
kathrynt, I looked up this MSNBC story about a recent poll on American attitudes towards gays and the freedom to marry, and then looked up the poll report itself. (This is always a good idea, if you can manage it. Newspapers often leave out important details; television always does.) On page two I found the following information: | Why are people homosexual? | 1985 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|
| Something born with | 20% | 30% |
| Way people are brought up | 22% | 14% |
| Way some prefer to live | 42% | 42% |
| Don’t know | 16% | 14% |
Only 14% knew the right answer, and that’s down from 16% in 1985!
(no subject)
Date: 2003-11-18 12:54 pm (UTC)When they do, however, there's no "show your work" section. If I asked a bunch of people "What is the square root of 841?" and some of them say "29", it doesn't matter whether they did the math on the spot, have it memorized, or remember hearing the question on a Buffy rerun yesterday: there is a correct answer and they've given it. Conversely, if someone does the math and makes a mistake, that they tried doesn't make 23 correct.