Dear Editor: I have sent a letter to Rep. Jim Marshall saying that President Obama’s signature of the Defense Authorization Bill that includes “hate crimes” against homosexuals and transgender is outrageous. It is outrageous that it is a violation of Equal Protection Under the Law as defined by the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. It also makes a person criminal for thinking about doing the crime rather than person actually committing the crime.

All this is the first sign toward thought control which is typical in an authoritarian government. Despite the fact that homosexuality is a sin as defined in the Bible, our president who still has not found a church since his January inauguration, has given his total support toward a group that is one of the most intolerant groups in this country. Need I remind you about what happened to Carrie Prejean after her answer to Perez Hilton during the Miss USA pageant this past April? She was (and continues to be) savaged for her response that was supported by our president then. By the way, both Senators Chambliss and Isakson voted against this bill because of this “hate crimes” provision.

By signing this bill into law, President Obama has made every minister and every churchgoer in this country a criminal. It is another sign that George Orwell’s Animal Farm has come true where “All ...[people]... are equal, but some ...[people]... are more equal than others.”

I hope Rep. Marshall can live with his decision because it will be a factor in his election in November 2010.

Chris Miller
Covington