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Polls show... Well, several opinions

A description for a Polls 101 course says all you need to know about what people can do with their opinions.

A description for a Polls 101 course says all you need to know about what people can do with their opinions.

"In a society which surveys everything from soap used to political preference, it is essential that polls are neither feared nor revered. Students must know that polls are statements of short-term probability that may easily be skewed. They are a tool to help man make rational decisions."

Forewarned, here are the results of some recent polls.

Immigrant treatment:

• 84 percent of 808 Arizonans surveyed say they support tighter border security, but also believe immigrant workers ought to be treated humanely.

• 44 percent said it was morally wrong to deport workers when doing so would break up families, and 44 percent disagreed, while 12 percent were unsure.

Source: Behavior Research Center, http://www.brcpolls.com.

Congressman Hayworth’s opposition to a temporary worker program:

• 59 percent of 351 registered Arizona voters support a temporary worker program, while 25 percent agree with Hayworth’s opposition.

Source: KAET-TV, PBS (Phoenix) and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at ASU.

Speaking English:

• 57 percent of 2,288 Hispanics believe that immigrants have to speak English to be a part of American society, 41 percent said they do not.

• 96 percent of foreign-born Hispanics believe that English should be taught to immigrant children, compared with 88 percent of native-born Hispanic who believe that.

Source: Pew Hispanic Center, www.pewhispanic.org