Article on a controversial subject - Essay Example

Article on a Controversial al Affiliation) The Electorate, Changes and Politics Follow In an article, published in the New York Times, written by Andre Kohut, in 2012, it is indicated that gay marriage or same sex marriage is no longer a controversial issue taking into consideration the changes on the perspectives of the American populace over the last few years. However, there are various issues that one may ask when reading this article to begin with; the author provides data i.e. a 60% of American populace who opposed gay marriage in the year 2004, and a 39% who supported gay marriage in the same study conducted in 2004.

The validity of this data and statement is questionable. First, the author does not indicate, who conducted this study, where it was conducted as well as the materials that were used to facilitate the data that was collected. In this regard, this statement and the data may be regarded as a generalized perspective owing to the fact that its validity is yet to be proven. Secondly, the author provides data indicating a research that was undertaken in 2008 by the Pew Research Centre concerning the support and opposition of gay marriage; the research indicated that approximately 47% of the American Populace opposed gay marriage while 43% supported gay marriage.

However, the article fails to indicate where specifically the study was conducted and how it was conducted. America is considered one of the largest nations in terms of geographical and demographical size: Therefore, the essence of providing data regarding a study that was conducted in America without proper proof and credibility, would lead to a scenario where information is considered general or less credible. At the beginning of the article, the author makes a claiming indicating that it seems in the previous year, that opposition to gay marriage was used as a strategy to rally and energize conservative foundations.

This statement is not supported by any fact or data, and may be considered a personal perspective of the author. Additionally, acknowledging the fact that the owner uses the word ‘seems’, one may conclude that the information provided by the author could be basically a personal opinion rather than factual information. Taking into consideration the fact that the article was published in 2012, the major issue that arises in regard to usability and reliability of the information indicated is that the article may be considered out-of date: This is due to the fact that society is dynamic in nature, meaning that there are various changes that occur on a daily basis i.e. socio-economic developments in this regard, it could be possible that the information provided in the article, can be used or applied to describe the current societal perspectives on gay-marriage.

ReferenceKohut, A. (2012, April 16). The Electorate Changes, and Politics Follow. Retrieved December 2, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/04/16/is-support-for-gay-rights-still-controversial/the-electorate-changes-and-politics-follow