…and this is a 
By popular demand (50 email requests in the last few hours), here's an absurd Prop8 poll on FoxNews. Go ahead and take a stab at it, but from my perspective, it's already been trashed — with numbers like this, it's already clearly down to battling bots duking it out.
Did Judge Make Right Call In Gay Marriage Case?
Yes -- Prop. 8 violates the Constitution. 47% (46,786 votes) No -- Marriage is an institution between a man and a woman. I don't care what the judge thinks about the Constitution. 46% (46,277 votes) I'm not sure but shouldn't the voters views count for something? 6% (6,321 votes) Other (leave a comment). 1% (840 votes)
Comments
Posted by: Michael Hawkins
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August 4, 2010 10:41 PM
"I'm not sure but shouldn't the voters (sic) views count for something?" is FOX Noise's way of biasing an already bias poll so they can later say how important everyone believes the will of the majority is.
It's bigoted nonsense.
Posted by: Alverant
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August 4, 2010 10:54 PM
I wonder if they remember about the millions of people who voted AGAINST P8, shouldn't their votes count too?
Posted by: mxh
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August 4, 2010 10:55 PM
Aren't they screwing their own desired outcome by having 2 pro-Prop 8 choices?
Posted by: Evomonkey
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August 4, 2010 11:03 PM
The placement of the percentages and the text made the negative choice on the poll read like this: "No -- Marriage is an institution between a man and a 44% woman".
I'll have to think about that.
Posted by: gorunnova
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August 4, 2010 11:08 PM
Whoa... it's like duelling banjos, except using poll questions, and one of the banjos is actually an out of tune yukelele.
Posted by: Noddin
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August 4, 2010 11:10 PM
Yes. This poll is biased. I am going to stand behind you today! I have voted YES in the poll to stand by the blog. Each human is in the same World. This vote was good.
P.Z. Myers, do you want me to vote again? Tell me it here. I will watch for your new comment and respond to your request.
I need to make a comment. Some people say that is OK to keep idiot theist marriage only for heterosexuals. No, it is not OK. There is no reason for the shit PROP 8 and I will expose it to you.
Thank you. I am glad to be with you now. I do not have an ability to help vote against it in your states but I will help you here.
Posted by: Zach
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August 4, 2010 11:18 PM
Yet another poll from Faux News with extra voting options to try and skew results. At first, I was almost surprised, but now it's the rule instead of the exception.
Posted by: Brownian, Most Vicious & Petty of Pharyngulites
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August 4, 2010 11:29 PM
I wish there was an option for "Mormons funded it, I'm against it, that settles it."
Posted by: Nineveh
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August 4, 2010 11:33 PM
I don't know why people think the "will of the majority" is the end all in a democracy. If what the "majority wills" is undemocratic, or racist, or unconstitutional, or insert insane adjective here, then fuck the majority.
For people who hate "Big Government" they sure love it when it comes in to legislate over and regulate our penises and vaginas.
Posted by: MAJeff, OM
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August 4, 2010 11:37 PM
The only fact one needs to know about Fox "News":
Murdoch's "news director" is Roger Ailes, a Republican political consultant who trained at the feed to Lee "Southern Strategy" Atwater.....
Posted by: Bad Albert
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August 4, 2010 11:42 PM
Next Fox poll question is going to be:
Should blacks be forced to sit at the back of the bus and give up their seats to white people?
1. No.
2. Yes. Shouldn't the voter's views count for something?
Some people seem to forget that constitutional rights are not democratic. It's done that way so the majority can't take them away from minorities.
Posted by: dWhisper
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August 4, 2010 11:46 PM
It's odd that the results on Fox News are even between good and bad. I usually expect for more stupidity to come out of the woodwork for them.
Posted by: MaxH
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August 4, 2010 11:48 PM
"Next Fox poll question is going to be:
Should blacks be forced to sit at the back of the bus and give up their seats to white people?
1. No.
2. Yes. Shouldn't the voter's views count for something?"
@Bad Albert, you're my hero.
Posted by: MAJeff, OM
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August 4, 2010 11:49 PM
I usually expect for more stupidity to come out of the woodwork for them.
If they had this picture, it'd be more overwhelmingly on the "screw the queers" side.
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/08/race-and-gay-marriage-in-perspective/60837/
Posted by: Charlie Foxtrot
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August 4, 2010 11:54 PM
Y-52% / N-41% / ?-6% / Drool-1%
129,144 Votes
Good to see at least that humanitarians build better bots :)
Posted by: Rey Fox, Bird Caller Guy
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August 4, 2010 11:54 PM
"Marriage is an institution between a man and a woman. I don't care what the judge thinks about the Constitution."
Delightful.
Posted by: O Pioneer
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August 4, 2010 11:55 PM
internet scallywags 4chan got to this one first.
Posted by: rippingrich
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August 5, 2010 12:25 AM
I read a number of comments on the news page and I must admit, this makes me sad. I usually find our friends to the south quite humorous. I find it a great source of ironic entertainment. However, to see such a large number of them destroy what your country boasts so loudly of to the world, freedom and liberty for all, is very disheartening. To see them use religion as the single excuse for such vile hatred scares me. With all bubbling up of tensions involving christian and islamic sects, I wonder if were gearing up for a religious war unlike we have never seen?
How has such a great nation become so detached from reality?
Posted by: Rikaishi
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August 5, 2010 12:44 AM
Nice to see FOX hammering away, making excuses for their side's flawless defeat with this headline:
Why Has Media Ignored Judge's Possible Bias In California's Gay Marriage Case?
The media have probably ignored it because any half-intelligent simian who actually looks at the case, will quickly realize that the Defendants didn't have one. Their witnesses scored a heap of own goals, and their closing argument was basically "we don't need evidence, gay marriage is just wrong."
Rumour says the Alliance Defence Fund is copping flack for screwing this up so badly. This makes me happy.
Posted by: jcmartz.myopenid.com
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August 5, 2010 12:45 AM
We poll! We decide!
Posted by: Judy L.
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August 5, 2010 1:12 AM
The democracy you enjoy in the U.S. is a CONSTITUTIONAL democracy, meaning that your CONSTITUTIONALLY protected rights are not subject to the will of a majority of voters, regardless of how big that majority might be, or how red in the face they get when they're told that the government isn't going to discriminate anymore against whatever group the majority thinks is "icky" or inferior. And let's remind everyone that marriage is a CIVIL right (all legal marriage licenses are issued by the State, not by the Church). The big, bad government can't force churches to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies the same way it can't force them to perform a marriage ceremony between two people of different religions. Churches are allowed to be just as bigoted and homo-hating as always, and no straight people are going to be forced into gay marriage.
Up here in Canada, same-sex marriage has been legally recognized for seven years and straight marriage hasn't been affected at all. I think the only real societal impact is that children are now being raised in a country where the laws recognize that gay people, their lives and their relationships and families are of the same value as their straight counterparts.
Posted by: shreddakj
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August 5, 2010 1:16 AM
I think that trying to understand the minds of bigots is futile. They didn't reason themselves into their position of gay-bashing, so there's no way we'll be able to reason them out of it. This is why social change is a slow process, we almost have to wait for the next generation to come around before seeing the results of the human rights struggles of this generation. The LGBT movement started up, what around 40 years ago? We're starting to see progress but it's slow.
Posted by: Rey Fox, Bird Caller Guy
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August 5, 2010 1:24 AM
"Why Has Media Ignored Judge's Possible Bias In California's Gay Marriage Case?"
I read that. The guy spends the whole damn column waffling, taking forever to come to his evidence of "possible bias": that the judge maybe could maybe be gay. We expect judges to recuse themselves if they have a financial stake, not that he actually does, but he could still be biased, not that he necessarily would be any more than a married heterosexual, but maybe maybe could be...
Hey Mr. Law Professor, I can't hear your mealy-mouthed BS over the parties in the Castro tonight.
Posted by: Markle
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August 5, 2010 2:12 AM
With results of:
A comment appears:
That translates to what? "Why don't things match my perceptions from my echo chamber?"
Posted by: djleahy
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August 5, 2010 2:35 AM
An impressive 57% -- 37% lead for "Prop. 8 is unconstitutional" on a FoxNews poll. Humanity rises to the occasion. I am very pleased; altogether an affirming day for humanity!
I will admit that (unlike some comments above) the wording and choices of this poll were surprisingly favorable toward the anti-Prop. 8 result of this judgment. First of all, the pro-Prop. 8 forces were split between two options, while the anti-Prop. 8 viewers had only one. WTF? Secondly, their main choice was actually fairly explicitly morally suspect -- "I don't care about the constitution." Which of course is true for Prop. 8 supporters, but usually they prefer to sweep that untidy fact under the rug. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that the author of this poll at Fox News winds up under some significant scrutiny.
Posted by: bad Jim
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August 5, 2010 3:53 AM
58% yes suggests either that the bots are on our side or that we're Pharyngulating again. In either case, Yay!
Posted by: Alice Bluegown
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August 5, 2010 4:16 AM
Don't normally poll crash, but hey, it's Faux News (yes, we get that shit in the UK, too)...
Currently 59% to the good guys - the comments thread is completely SNAFU'd, but if you're prepared to dig around, much hilarity to be uncovered amid all the exploding heads.
Posted by: Doxie
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August 5, 2010 5:04 AM
Nice how Fox biases the "I don't know" answer. 59.9% to us!
Posted by: Ströh
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August 5, 2010 5:13 AM
A whopping 100k+ votes for the yes alternative makes a strong lead with 59,9% of the votes.
You got to love the disclaimer at the bottom though: "This is not a scientific poll". Well in that case I guess it's okay for it to be biased.
To their credit, however, Fox has yet to actively interfere with the poll. Could it be that Fox is one of the few sites out there who actually doesn't take this poll business seriously?
Posted by: Duckbilled Platypus
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August 5, 2010 5:18 AM
Ummm... The 'North' is not that much better off with only 5 states recognizing that freedom and liberty for all includes legalizing gay marriage.What I'm more worried about is that the most powerful nation in the world has a profound fundamentalist backbone, which is easily mobilized. And they use their freedom to vote to limit the freedom of others. I certainly was disappointed - I thought California was the laissez-faire state that would shrug this proposition off.
Posted by: Ströh
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August 5, 2010 5:36 AM
Those comments are both hilarious and mystifying. Half the time they are so badly written that you can't even tell what they are supposed to say.
One guy even wrote in a southern accent. I didn't think such a thing was even possible. But it is, doncha know? 'Guess that's where excessive home-schooling getcha.
Luckily the voices of reason are far more lucid.
Posted by: shonny
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August 5, 2010 6:21 AM
How come so many people here are emptying the septic tank that is FuckedNews into their homes?
Dennis Potter (playwright) wanted to shoot Rupert Murdoch as he (Potter) was dying from cancer, but it wasn't the done thing. Sadly.
The end of NewsCorp would've made the world a better place.
Posted by: flawedprefect
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August 5, 2010 6:55 AM
Y'know, I'm beginning to think Fox News is an ingenious idea. By keeping all your nuts in one sack, you can more easily keep tabs on them. If they were dispersed throughout the media, it would so much more difficult to keep an eye on their zany antics.
Posted by: johnlil#0a224
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August 5, 2010 7:07 AM
Never doubt your own power, PZ. That poll is quickly getting its ass kicked.
Posted by: Duckbilled Platypus
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August 5, 2010 7:08 AM
I wish Michael Moore would make a documentary about Fox, and in particular Fox News. He's a bit of a brawler when it comes to throwing facts around, but he actually may manage to reach their audience.
Posted by: Nancy New
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August 5, 2010 7:18 AM
61% and 33% at 7:15 am EST
Posted by: John Pieret
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August 5, 2010 7:47 AM
Even more than the percentages, the number of votes is 193,356 as of 7:45 am EDT. Pharyngulistas are many but this involves a lot more people.
Posted by: MosesZD
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August 5, 2010 7:55 AM
Just call me "Moses-Bot" and point me in the right direction... :)
Posted by: Scorpy1
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August 5, 2010 8:13 AM
Our robots are clearly better built. CS for tha win.
Posted by: Copyleft
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August 5, 2010 8:33 AM
Keep in mind that actual Fox Noise viewers will automatically click Option #2, since it's the only one that says "I don't care... about the Constitution."
It's a reflex. They can't help it.
Posted by: ngong
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August 5, 2010 8:49 AM
It's interesting that "no, it's not unconstitutional" is not an option. It appears that the poll-makers have conceded that the judge's decision is in line with the constitution.
Posted by: Mr.Nerdz
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August 5, 2010 8:50 AM
If the constitution disagrees with the book, you know what to do. Leave the country until you find a place where the book is law. No place like that? That's all you need to realise.
OK, maybe you found a place, and that's just a colossal shithole? That's all you need to realise.
Posted by: https://me.yahoo.com/hairychris444#96384
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August 5, 2010 8:57 AM
If O Pioneer at #17 is right and 4chan did crash the poll then a good chunk of the comments will be trollery. Poes Law is in full effect!
Posted by: McCthulhu is taking ∞ to eat all the pi
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August 5, 2010 9:06 AM
I'm amazed by the power of Poll Pharyngulation. If Pharynguloids have the power to do in a FAUX ne...FAUX Fabrication poll, they really can do anything.
This was my first visit to that website. I had no idea there were so many violently delusional fuckwits with computer access. Going back through their polls, it's frightening to read the number of veiled and not-so-veiled threats against Obama. Echo chambers are one thing, but when the voices are applauding commentary advocating assassination, or violence of any kind, that's just fucking sick. Someone should shoot them. No. Wait...what?
Posted by: Moggie
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August 5, 2010 9:21 AM
#23:
Riiiight... On a similar basis, I declare that being a Christian is incompatible with being a judge, since a Christian judge stands to gain infinite benefit in the afterlife depending on his/her decisions. So, all Christian judges should immediately and permanently recuse themselves.
Posted by: Canadian
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August 5, 2010 9:36 AM
I have to say that our former Prime Minister PE Trudeau had it right: dog pee is the only things polls are good for.
Posted by: fauxrs
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August 5, 2010 9:57 AM
The thing that gets me the most about this arguement, and its all over the comments section of every article on the web regarding this ruling.
Is that the judge never hid that he was gay, so the prop 8 supporters could have easily called for him to recuse himself, yet their high powered attorneys did no such thing. This leaves me to two possible conclusions.
1> The pro-8 attorneys are irretrievably stupid
or
2> The pro-8 attorneys saw no reason to believe that the judges gender preference would get in the way of his rulings.
After reading the ruling last night it is quite clear that the latter is the case, that document will be hard to dismiss as flawed in any way.
Posted by: Syzygy
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August 5, 2010 11:04 AM
I tried leaving a comment saying IT'S THE FUCKING CONSTITUTION, YOU FUCKWITS, but the big mean censor man wouldn't let me.
Posted by: https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawltOStG4dkoRWq3YBbq9mHXYKQ-QqMwpwY
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August 5, 2010 11:15 AM
I hope no one here is accepting Pox News' kooky Kool-Aid-laced cookies onto their computers. That being said, Ditto #44 McCthulhu: I've never before visited Faux News' site and never hope to again. Must go wash eyes with ... ?
Posted by: KyBoiler
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August 5, 2010 11:40 AM
#40 beat me to it. Seems like they missed an important Fox viewer opinion.
No -- Marriage is an institution between a man and a woman. I don't care
what the judge thinksabout the Constitution.Posted by: Hypatia's Daughter
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August 5, 2010 12:12 PM
#4 Evomonkey
Pshaww - what's to think about. The fundy FauxNews fans know that only 44% of a woman is important - the part below the waist that gets "barefoot & pregnant".Posted by: Vicki, Chief Assistant to the Assistant Chief
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August 5, 2010 12:20 PM
FauxRs--
It also appears that the pro-8 attorneys were stupid.
No, they didn't have a plausible case. But I suspect they could have found witnesses who weren't so easily shot down. The ones they called were in no sense experts (there must be a bigoted sociologist out there somewhere) and one of them had publicly argued the opposite of what he was now offering as testimony.
The judge's discussion of the witnesses called, and not called, includes
That doesn't strike me as evidence of competence by the pro-8 attorneys. Withdrawing them when they realized that the hearings wouldn't be a televised opportunity to spread hate, maybe. Getting as far as depositions without thinking about what they would say, no.
Just as well: I never wanted competent enemies.
Posted by: Evomonkey
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August 5, 2010 12:22 PM
#51 Hypatia's Daughter
Sadly, too true. But the FauxNews acolytes better hurry. It's the incredible shrinking woman in that poll. It now reads: "No -- Marriage is an institution between a man and a 31% woman".
Posted by: astrosmash
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August 5, 2010 12:42 PM
The odd truth is that once the repubs get back into the executive chair, all of these glue-bags are going to shut the fuck up about all this crazy shit. I don't think they really care...They just want to be in power. Can you imagine what would actually happen if the next rebublican administration put the tea-baggy agenda into policy? My one hope is that the new republican constituency IS actually as crazy as they seem, and WOULD demand their desires be made flesh, as it were, because when that doesn't happen, they're gonna implode. The conservatives will have to launch that sinking boat. (I'm still optimistic enough to believe that the new conservatives are nothing but bluff, although i understand the danger implied by that hope)
Posted by: dnbarabash
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August 5, 2010 1:32 PM
Vicki, #52
...and Voltaire's Prayer is granted once again ☺
Posted by: KAKAROT9000
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August 5, 2010 3:06 PM
Hell, not "bots"
I, as a member of 4chan, personally participated in the poll.
Long live ANON.
Posted by: KAKAROT9000
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August 5, 2010 3:14 PM
Yeah, it was on /b/ all night. Considering 4chan's mass user base of trolls, no bots may have been involved.
But, i really cannot be sure.
Posted by: Omini
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August 5, 2010 4:32 PM
And just to prove that us evil atheists have been abusing the poll, the "prop 8 violates the constitution" option now has 66.6% of the vote.
Bwahahahaha.....
Posted by: Disturbingly Openminded
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August 5, 2010 4:33 PM
Hey, we're at 66.6%. 666. See, that's a sign right there! Ya legalize gay marriage and the world comes to an end. Or whatever 666 is supposed to be. Don't remember. Don't care.
Posted by: Cobolt
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August 5, 2010 5:33 PM
We may be at 66.6% but look at the total votes. Ususally, when the poles get these sorts of numbers the Phayrngulation skews them to 90%+.
I feel a shift in the force, the kooks are organising.
Posted by: Omini
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August 5, 2010 6:00 PM
well, so much for the mark of the evil atheists, we're up to 67% now
Posted by: McCthulhu is taking ∞ to eat all the pi
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August 5, 2010 7:10 PM
...breaks into a rousing rendition of Queen's
♫ We Are The Champions. ♫
Posted by: kmw.usa
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August 5, 2010 11:07 PM
I've gotten rather sick and tired of people complaining about "the will of the people" when we're talking about the rights of other human beings. I find it very sad that so many americans don't understand how their own gov't was set up. It's supposed to be a democratic republic. That means it's setup to ideally protect minority groups from the tyranny of the majority. It can't do that if it lets the rights of people be voted on in a majority rules fashion. We need to better educate our own citizenry.