High blood pressure be damned. I've always thought polls were best served with a healthy serving of salt.
Maybe I'm just a hopeless skeptic, but every time I hear about or see some new poll or survey, I always consider the source and temper the results with a little cool-headed detachment.
Last week's big poll news came from Pew. Seems one in five Americans insists our president is Muslim. Now, I have my own issues with some of the president's policies, but I tend to take him at his word regarding his religion. Besides, I honestly couldn't care less. Last time I checked, we still maintained a separation of church and state.
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I bring this up not to inflame my own army of effigies from outraged readers, but because another new poll caught my eye this morning. A Reuters survey (this time) found that "5 percent more Americans were worried about their ability to pay for health services in July — four months after health reform became law — than they were last December."
I'm sorry, 5 percent? Is anybody paying attention? In fact, the oddest part of the survey is the fact that so many people are confused why more changes haven't kicked in sooner. Again, this is Congress we're talking about, not Jiffy Lube.
But I digress. The point I'd like to make today is that Americans aren't really in touch with what's going on. About anything. So what kind of role – exactly – are you playing in the education? Or are you just going to leave it to the evening news?
But don't take my word for it. Let's look at a couple of other surveys that shook the foundations of common sense over the last few years.
Back in 1999, a Gallup poll revealed roughly 20 percent of Americans had no idea who we declared our independence from in 1776 (maybe it's time to bring back those School House Rock cartoons).
Another Gallup poll in 2005 found that more than 40 percent of us believe in ESP (if they only knew what I was thinking right now).
Finally, a 2005 Northwestern University survey found that a whopping 20 percent of Americans still thought the sun revolved around the earth (and is that ego or ignorance?).
So, I guess I'm not sure what worries me more, the questions. Or the answers.
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