The annual Gallup Poll is out measuring how Americans view various moral and ethical issues. Here’s a list of those that are of concern to Secondhand Smoke. From the poll:
Morally Acceptable versus Morally Wrong
| Issue | Morally Acceptable | Morally Wrong |
| Abortion: | 38% | 50% |
| Assisted Suicide: | 46% | 46% |
| Wearing Fur: | 60% | 35% |
| Animal Research: | 50% | 34% |
| ESCR: | 59% | 32% |
| Cloning Animals | 31% | 63% |
| Suicide: | 15% | 77% |
| Cloning Humans | 09% | 88% |
Of course, this isn’t the same as stating what should be legal or against the law.
Still, I am heartened by the assisted suicide support being under 50%, not surprised by the larger number of people that think abortion is immoral, since that tracks with recent polling elsewhere, and dismayed that 34% think testing on animals is morally wrong. I am not happy, but not surprised, by the ESCR margin, and doubt the 9% support for human cloning includes therapeutic cloning–people are thinking of cloned babies with that question (although past polls have shown that majorities oppose human cloning for medical research but not by such a wide margin).
Contact: Wesley J. Smith
Source: Secondhand Smoke