That's EXACTLY how I feel about Christians. But, they can't keep their thumbs off of their neighbors' backs. And no, democracy is not based on majority rule. Mob rule is based on majority rule. A true democracy protects its minorities. A true democracy is based on the rights of the individual.

Conservatives need to get back to their libertarian roots. I don't think the founding fathers would have wanted either a welfare state OR a police state. And why should we have to choose?

PS--And I think gays belong in the military. Why? Because they've always been there. Should they be able to make a point of their homosexuality? Probably not, if they want to get ahead. Does it suck for them? Yeah, it probably does, but if they want to be there, they're gonna have to give up a piece of their civilian personality, just like every other service member. I don't understand why they'd want to be there, but who am I to judge? Most of their fellow service members, and the country at large, as much as 75% according to Desert_Rat, are just waiting for the go-ahead to stomp them into the ground. Why they'd want to sacrifice themselves for that, I'll never understand. But again, it's a personal decision, and if they want to be cannon-fodder for a society that hates their fucking guts, I say give 'em a rifle.