Poll finds prevailing dim views of race relations in U.S.

A new poll on U.S. racial relations found that the majority of the Americans regard the race relations in the country as generally bad.

According to the New York Times/CBS News poll released on Friday, nearly six in 10 Americans, including heavy majorities of both whites and African-Americans, think race relations are bad, and about 40 percent say the situation is getting worse.

The poll's finding was consistent with that of other multiple surveys which had pointed to a significant swing in attitude to race relations in the United States since the country's first African-American President Barack Obama took office in 2009, when about two thirds of Americans said they believed that race relations in the country were generally good.

The nationwide poll of 1,205 came at a time when the country was struggling to deal with continued racially charged violence targeted at the minorities, especially the African-American communities.

In a brutal style, a white gunman with racist agendas shot dead nine African-American churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina in June, reigniting debates over the flawed gun control policies in the country as well as the removal of the Confederate battle flag from South Carolina Capitol grounds.

Hailed by many as the pride of the southern heritage, the flag of the post-slavery side during the Civil War is viewed by many as a strong symbol of racial hatred.

Though the racially motivated shooting at the Charleston church appeared to inspire a moment of empathy and racial reconciliation, the New York Times/CBS News poll found a racial division on people 's perception of removing the Confederate flag.

The poll said that about 40 percent of whites say they are disappointed of the decision by the state lawmakers to lower the Confederate flag on South Carolina Capitol grounds, while 81 percent of African-Americans favor the removal. Endite