Going with the flow

Ad hoc survey shows little thought behind permissive beliefs | Joel Belz

Illustration by Krieg Barrie

If you're as dismayed as I am by the growing tendency of the American people to give their assent to aberrations like homosexual marriage, get ready for even bigger surprises—and disappointments. And as you process all that, remember this: The issue isn't so much what people believe and don't believe. The big issue is where they ground those beliefs.

I headed this morning back to the front door area of the local Wal-Mart to do a little "shoe-leather reporting." I'd spent the weekend in Washington, D.C., and heard the beltway spin on a dozen topics. I'd read the latest surprises from the Gallup poll, suggesting that the American people are more pro-life than they've been in years. Now I wanted to talk to a few of these Americans face-to-face. Where better to do that than at the blue—collar crossroads of the nation?