More than eight in 10 Americans say the country’s moral values are getting worse, a new Gallup Poll shows.
The 81 percent of adults who say the nation’s “state of moral values” is getting worse is a record high for the question, which was first asked in 2002. It registered at 67 percent in each of the first two years and 77 percent in 2004 and 2005 before inching even higher this year.
Only 11 percent of Americans say the nation’s moral values are getting better.
The 10-point spike between May 2003 and May 2004 (when the polls were conducted) came during a time in which “gay marriage” was legalized in Massachusetts and several Canadian provinces, Janet Jackson was exposed on nationwide television during the Super Bowl and the story broke about abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
On another question, in describing the situation “right now” in America, 85 percent of Americans rate the “state of moral values” as fair or poor. Forty-two percent say they are poor, 43 percent fair. All of those stats are new highs.
Only 14 percent of Americans (a new low) say the state of morality is excellent or good.
The poll of 1,002 adults was conducted May 8–11 and is part of Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey. (BP)
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