[Nat]

There seems to be an increasing fervor in the US around race, nationality, religion, orientation and gender - and it's being preached on the tv and from the pulpits. The Southern Poverty Law Center recently stated that since Obama became president, there has been a significant increase in the amount of hate groups. People are poor and fearful and angry, and many embrace an apocalyptic end-of-days fundamentalist Christianity that really stokes the fires of hopelessness and blame. I had a sweet, funny lady at work tell me in all sincerity the other day that she was reading the "Left Behind" series, and it's really sad how many people are going to be tortured here on earth for 7 years before descending into hell just because they refused to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I said, "Sounds like a merciful god," and she replied, "They all had plenty of chances to save themselves."

If we win any of our rights battles, I think there definitely will be more violent backlash.

Thanks for this thread.