Washington, DC - A recent Gallup poll revealed that Americans are more tolerant of liberal moral values than ever before. A separate survey by Gallup, conducted in the past several weeks, showed that a great majority of us - 72% of the population - believe the country is in moral decline.
"The seemingly contradictory research indicates that while the nation's attitudes have changed toward what was once viewed as bad behavior regarding sex, marriage and other social issues, we still have a moral compass. Explicit movies, pop culture and even some of the political rhetoric we hear almost daily may tell us to let it all hang out, as some might put it, but deep down we know that smoking marijuana is not the best way to go through life," according to Dan Weber, president of the Association of Mature American Citizens.
In reporting its poll, Gallup concluded that "Americans' views about the declining state of moral affairs largely reflect a belief that there is a deteriorating collective moral character. That is, their views have less to do with greater acceptance of same-sex marriage or having babies out of wedlock and other hot-button issues, and more to do with matters of basic civility and respect for each other."
Weber said he believes that the implications of what the polls show are both numerous and complex. He asserts that the nation - particularly the heartland - is still strongly conservative in its moral views but that social liberals have been especially effective in promoting their agenda.
"Meanwhile, the relative prosperity we enjoy in the United States has made some of us more accepting of new concepts of behavior. At least that's what the Obama administration seemed to think when its Department of Health and Human Services review board ruled that Medicare can pay for sex change operations."
Such elective surgeries have been excluded from coverage for some 30 years, but last week the review board made an about face and declared the exclusion to be unjustified.
"But, more important, the conservatives among us have become a 'silent majority,' too reticent to speak our minds in a collective voice loud enough to make ourselves heard for fear we will be labeled as 'old fogeys.' Instead of lamenting the feeling that the country is going to hell in a handbasket, we need to present a united front and stand up for our principles by getting involved in ways that make a difference. Write thoughtful letters to your representatives, whether they are conservative or liberal, and tell them we must resist moral decline. Show your support for political candidates who support your views. Most important, get out and vote.".
America's moral decline is not an inevitability, Weber concluded. "It's a matter of awakening from our complacency and taking appropriate measures."
