Misinformed about missile defense

0 Comments | Insight on the News, Dec 31, 2001 | by Hans S. Nichols, | Brandon Spun

Four in 10 Americans incorrectly believe that the United States is protected by a national missile-defense shield, says a new national poll conducted by Fabrizio, McLaughlin & Associates. "While national missile defense is a well-worn issue inside the Washington Beltway, this polling suggests the American public has yet to engage on the issue," says Bob Moran, vice president of the polling company.

Only 31 percent of those surveyed understood that an incoming missile could not be stopped, while an additional 26 percent were unsure. "We expected to find a generational divide when we asked this question, but older Americans who lived through the Cold War and `duck-and-cover' era were almost as misinformed on these issues as younger Americans," notes Moran.

HANS S. NICHOLS AND BRANDON SPUN ARE REPORTERS FOR Insight.