Generational Gaps, Polls & Gay Marriage

In past classes we discussed a divide when it came to technology, but there are many other types of divides when it comes to generations. According to a new poll by CNN most Americans still oppose Gay Marriage, however, as the poll indicates, individuals under 35 are solidly for gay marriage legalization. The poll also notes that "just 44 percent back gay marriage, compared with 58 percent of those under 35" which is quite astounding to think about when you take into account another statistic in the poll that "only around 4 in 10 Americans ages 35 to 64 back gay marriage, and the number drops to 24 percent for those above age 65."

Now, what do all these numbers mean to the average person in the bracket range of "under 35" besides a huge headache, lots of questions and proof that polls are very difficult to breakdown a lot of the time? Besides the fact that there are tons of polls conducted all the time which can show a large amount of support for one side, as opposed to the other. I believe that the future of Progressive ideals, and support for things like gay marriage are driven by the youth vote. When I see a poll like the one conducted last week by NBC/Wall Street Journal which shows people support gay marriage now more than in 2004, and more that more people support gay marriage, then oppose it, I feel very optimistic about where our country is heading. I think it shows that our country is slowly moving in a different direction and becoming much more tolerant towards people who in the past they may have deemed "different." It is a wonderful thing to see and hopefully it can continue and also be driven by the same youth movement that the first poll showed has a sharp contrasting view on issues that might have seemed divisive in the past.

Where's The Outrage?

The title of this blog comes from the tag line for a movie that premiered earlier this week at the Tribeca Film Festival about outing gay Republicans who vote against the interest of gays and lesbians. The film, which caught me interest months back, sounds very interesting, and is by a filmmaker named Kirby Dick, who is no stranger to these types of documentaries. He did another film called "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" which shows the hypocrisy of the rating system in films, which I would highly recommend. His movie Outrage, which I have not yet seen, but I would like to, is a documentary that openly shows the bias Republican lawmakers express by staying in the closet, while voting against the interest of everyday gay and lesbian people. In the film, Kirby, who never hides his feelings on a subject asks politicians why and how they can do this and whether they found this hypocritical. Obviously people had differing opinions on this type of film, and it set off some very strong responses. Florida Governor and potential running mate to John McCain, whose sexuality has been questioned on a regular basis, and was interviewed in this movie did not return phone calls asking for comments, along with other people called out in this film.

I really look forward to seeing this movie sometime in the future because I like Kirby Dick's documentary films, and I think he is doing a service to people who are fed up with double talk by politicians. It is not just on this topic, but I think people are tired of politicians who say one thing and do another thing. If there was more transparency, and more honesty coming from Washington these types of exposes would not be neccesary, but until that happens, this is the only way to see through the lies. Of course, you have to understand any bias that you are watching, reading, or looking at when you make your decision, but I think Kirby Dick's films are usually spot on and show the true bias and idiocy that he is trying to uncover.