They're slick, they're con artists, and they'll do anything to pass their extreme agenda!

If you read a history of the founding fathers, you find that most suffered for their ideals. Many ended up destitute and had to start over after the Revolutionary War. Their homes were burned, their belongings confiscated, nine even lost their lives. After his presidency, Thomas Jefferson was deeply in debt. In those days "public service" truly was service. Today, most of those who "serve" in public office leave office rich as Croesus and end up in lucrative jobs using their "connections" to further enrich themselves. To put it bluntly, many politicians prostitute themselves both in and out of office. Integrity and politics are too often strangers.

So is it any wonder to find politicians using sneaky stealth tactics to impose their extremist agendas on the American people? The Democrats are adept at disguising their actions and adding controversial issues to unrelated legislation as amendments, often to appropriation bills that legislators want to pass. Both sides do it, but the Dems have turned it into an art, like those three dimensional stereogram pictures hiding within another picture.

One stealth issue coming up this week is the work of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont). He plans to add the "Hate Crimes" bill (S. 909: The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act described by opponents as the Pedophile Protection Act) as an amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization Bill. The Amendment is not really about protecting people from crime (hate or otherwise) - laws already exist for that. This is all about giving special rights to homosexuals, lesbians, bi-sexuals and transgendered folks. (Did I miss anybody?) So if your granny gets mugged on the street it's not a hate crime, but if Joe Blow is dressed in an evening gown and stiletto heels and gets mugged he gets special treatment as the victim of a "hate crime."

But it's about more than that. Hate crimes are designed to stifle criticism of the immoral gay lifestyle. In Canada where hate crime legislation has been on the books for some time, church ministers have been prosecuted for quoting Bible passages condemning sodomy. Magazine and newspaper editors are fined for allowing ads critical of homosexual behavior. Bishop Fred Henry of Calgary and Basilian priest, Fr. Alphonse de Valk, were both brought before the Human Rights Commission for defending Church teaching on traditional marriage against the same-sex marriage onslaught. In another Canadian case, Bill Whatcott, was banned for life by a Saskatchewan court from ever publicly criticizing homosexuality. This is the ultimate goal of hate crime legislation - to muzzle free speech against homosexual immorality. Those who engage in sodomy and anal sex are above criticism in the world of "hate crimes."

If Christians don't fight this amendment, we'll have no one to blame but ourselves when we are targeted with the same persecution as our northern neighbors. And, in fact, the persecution has already begun. In 2008 a New Mexico Christian photographer, Elaine Huguenin who refused to photograph the "commitment ceremony" of two lesbians, was prosecuted by the New Mexico Human Rights Division. They said her action defied state antidiscrimination laws for sexual orientation discrimination. She is being defended by the Alliance Defense Fund whose spokesman says they will take the case all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary. Somehow, with confirmation hearings going on that will probably seat activist judge Sonia Sotomayor on the high court, I'm not particularly comforted by that thought. Once the court is packed with judicial activists committed to furthering the liberal agenda, there will be little hope for constitutional rights. When free speech is murdered who will resurrect it?

For more information about why hate crimes are bad and actually promote hatred of people who oppose homosexual behavior, see Rob Gagnon's article, Why a Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity “Hate Crimes” Law Is Bad for You.

Christians must continue to put on the armor of God and fight. Call your Senators today at (202) 224-3121 and ask them to vote NO on the Sen. Leahy's amendment adding S. 909 to the Department of Defense authorization bill. Don't let Senator Slick and his buddies con us out of our right to free speech. We pay their salaries after all!