Whenever I see a public opinion poll, and it shows what the majority opposes and supports, I sometimes ask this question: Can a majority of the people be wrong? If one were to look at history, the answer would be at times "yes," the majority can be wrong.
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There was once a majority of people during the 18th and 19th centuries that believed that women should not have the right to vote. They further believed that women should not go to law school nor should they be allowed to inherit or buy property. It was not until the late 19th century and early 20th that the people realized the fallacy of this belief and worked hard to change it.
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There was once a majority of individuals in both the north and south that believed that slavery was okay. It wasn't until the 1830s and the 1840s that a majority began to waiver. It wasn't until the 1850s that a majority saw the evil of slavery and worked hard for the abolition of it prior to the civil war. By the time the war ended, majority opinion had changed.
- There was a time when a majority of people believed in the"separate but equal" philosophy when it came to race relations, particularly when it came to Whites and African-Americans. It was not until the 1950s that people began to see the wrongness of this belief and by the time the Civil Rights Movement came about, a majority rejected it outright.
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There was time, when a majority of the people supported abortion-on-demand and thought that abortion was a great emancipation for women. That was during the 70s through the 2000. Today a majority of people are identifying themselves as pro-life instead of pro-choice. Even here, the tide is turning.
Often times, it may be years, decades or more time for a majority to see the errors and folly of their beliefs. Nevertheless, realize it they do and then try to change it.