Majority of Americans say governments most important role to protect liberties

[sailingaway]

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/december_2010/majority_of_voters_say_protecting_individual_right s_is_government_s_chief_role

[RideTheDirt]

Well they obviously are not fulfilling this role. They should poll these people on what to do about it!

[BamaAla]

That's all well and good for a headline; then I read the article. Some of these results are real head scratchers.


Twenty-four percent (24%) believe a government’s primary purpose is to ensure fairness and social justice, while 10% say it’s to manage the economy.


One-third (33%) of voters ages 18-to-29 see insuring fairness and social justice as government’s chief responsibility, higher than in any other age group.


Thirty-eight percent (38%), for example, believe the U.S. legal system worries too much about protecting individual rights rather than protecting national security, and just 22% take the opposite view. Thirty-two percent (32%) say the balance is about right.


One-in-three Americans (33%) say the current legal system worries too much about individual rights when it comes to public safety, while just 20% say it worries too much about public safety. Thirty-two percent (32%) believe the balance is about right.


Fifty-two percent (52%) of adults are willing to sacrifice freedom of speech to protect children from indecency on television.


In a survey released earlier this month, 27% of Americans favored a government-managed economy, but 24% said the government should stay out of economic decisions altogether.

[Sola_Fide]

Wow. This is a good sign. I thought most people wanted the government to keep them "safe".

[ClayTrainor]

Saying "The Government should protect liberty" is like saying "The fox should guard the hen house".

[guitarlifter]

Thirty-eight percent (38%), for example, believe the U.S. legal system worries too much about protecting individual rights rather than protecting national security, and just 22% take the opposite view. Thirty-two percent (32%) say the balance is about right.

Remind me, friends. For what sole purpose was our government created? Oh yeah, TO PROTECT INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS! I swear, I'm surrounded by idiots from left to right.

[tangent4ronpaul]

That's all well and good for a headline; then I read the article. Some of these results are real head scratchers.

We're screwed!

Now where were those threads on becoming an ex-pat?

-t

[Humanae Libertas]

Of course to those folks, protecting liberty is setting up a police state, naked body scanners, TSA on the streets, a complete government over of the economy. Good ole freedom*.