North Carolina Marriage Amendment Poll Riddled with Bias
Now that both houses of the North Carolina state legislature are controlled by Republicans, pro-family advocates around the state are optimistic about the chances for passage of a state marriage amendment in 2012.
An article from The Raleigh News & Observer chronicles the often-losing battle pro-family legislators have waged over the past decade for passage of a marriage amendment. Each year, the proposals inevitably fail at the hands of state liberals who work to kill any marriage amendment efforts.
But now that the legislature has changed hands, that story might change. Republican leaders in both houses of the legislature have promised to hold hearings on the proposed bill. If the state house and senate approve the bill, NC voters will vote on the amendment in the 2012 election.
The text of the amendment reads: “Marriage between a man and a woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.” Though the text is not as lengthy as other strong amendments passed in states like Virginia, Ohio, and Michigan, it seems to accomplish the same end. State marriage amendments that merely define the term “marriage” without banning counterfeits should be opposed, but this amendment seems to preclude any counterfeits by refusing to recognize any other domestic unions by whatever title they may take (e.g., domestic partnerships, civil unions, etc.).
Of course, the News & Observer article seeks to inject it’s own pro-homosexual slant into the story by citing an irrelevant poll performed by Elon University. Apparently, the school recently completed a poll wherein they found 55% of North Carolinians opposed to a marriage amendment. At first, the figure looks alarming. But upon closer examination of the poll, it becomes obvious that both the pollsters and the newspaper are aware of the duplicitous nature of their claims.
First of all, the poll only surveyed 467 people, hardly an adequate sample size in a state of more than nine million people. Second, the poll only surveyed North Carolina residents, not likely voters. Most of those surveyed by the pollsters will never vote on the amendment anyway. Polling a state’s residents, not its voters, is an oft-used polling tactic to skew results in favor of liberal causes.
If likely voters were to be surveyed on their support of a marriage amendment, it’s highly likely that you would see a majority in support of the amendment.
RELATED INFORMATION
North Carolina pro-family activists see hope for state marriage amendment
The Raleigh News & Observer
“”I think we have enough votes to get it passed,” he said. Republicans hold majorities in both chambers, and similar bills in past years have drawn bi-partisan support.
The proposed amendment would go on the 2012 ballot if three-fifths of the House and Senate vote in favor.”
Galatians 3:23-25
But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.(NKJV)