I enjoy reading polls. Maybe that’s the nerd in me coming out, or maybe it’s just my journalism background. There’s just something about reading that basic data.

So, I was doubly intrigued to see Gallup’s latest poll on Americans’ abortion views and how they have been affected by the horrific Philadelphia abortion practice run by Kermit Gosnell.

The poll showed a few interesting things, some encouraging and some not so much:

First, the poll’s premise is that Gosnell’s murderous practices haven’t swayed Americans’ views on abortion, but that amounts to very little when you look at the data showing how few people are actually following the case.

Only about 25 percent of Americans say they are following the Gosnell story closely. To put that in perspective, Gallup says the level of attention to news stories averages around 61 percent.

Like Gallup, I wonder how much that statistic has to do with the lack of media coverage. Sometimes I have to remind myself that here in Pennsylvania we are getting more news about Gosnell than the rest of the country. Are we the only ones hearing about his murder trial?

Second, more Americans are calling themselves “pro-life.” The “pro-choice” identifier has been declining since 1995. Definitely an encouraging sign!

Third, and perhaps most telling, most Americans (58 percent) believe abortions should be illegal in most or all circumstances. Even women and young people oppose abortions in most cases.

Only 39 percent of those polled say abortions should be legal in all or most circumstances. I wonder if these people, when told the truth about abortion, would change their minds.

If nothing else, I think the poll shows how important it is that we reach out to people with the truth about abortion.