New Pew Poll: American Electorate’s Radical Shifts in Attitudes, Values

New out this morning as the current president and past vice-president make their starkly contrasting terrorist torture speeches about what it REALLY means to be American:

In seven short years, the American electorate has radically changed, as voters’ priorities have shifted . . .according to a comprehensive survey released Thursday morning by the Pew Research Center.

The title describes it well:
“Independents Take Center Stage in Obama Era
Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2009”

It’s crammed with all sorts of data and trends to think about. Our attitudes on schools firing teachers for “morals” (homosexuality) happened to be the last thing mentioned in the commentary I just read:

On cultural — as opposed to economic — matters however, the country appears to be moving decisively towards greater social tolerance. . .

The percentage of people who say “school boards ought to have the right to fire teachers who are known homosexuals” has fallen from 51 percent in 1987 to 28 percent this year. At the same time, the percentage who do not think school boards should be empowered to fire gay teachers has grown from 42 to 67 percent.

Obama’s speech transcript here. Video here.

Cheney’s speech both video and transcript here.

Fun and Freeing Homeschool Interviews for Families

Way to go, Deb! Smart and funny do go together and this is the latest evidence.

If you’re a Thinking Parent of any stripe, you have GOT to go to this blog, “Homeschooling: Freedom and Fun for Your Family” — you’ll recognize lots of the names already up and the ones to come, including Pam and Sandra, Betty Malone (writestuff) and Valerie, Nance and me at some point — and then add the interview link to your blogroll, keep it handy for the next time some Ladenblather pretends to want to know about homeschooling and unschooling life.

And if you want to play along with your own interview, I’m assured you’d be most welcome. . .