It seems we’re finding that the religious right doesn’t speak for the majority of Americans, the majority of Republicans, the majority of conservatives, or even the majority of Christians. Every group in America, Democrats and Republicans, Christians and non-Christians, Protestants, Catholics, and even self-described conservatives all give their majority support for the adding sexual orientation to the already-existing federal hate crimes law.

That’s rather amazing data, especially since George Bush’s staff is threatening a possible veto. (Is it any coincidence that that Bush’s approval rating is at 28% and the percentage of Americans who oppose the bill is 27%? Bush is governing for only 27% of the American people, for the fringe of his own party.)

These results may be news to a lot of the media, and especially politicians in Washington, who give the religious right far more credit than they deserve. They are fringe extremists who don’t even represent most Christians, let alone most Americans.

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