Public-opinion polls show that Americans split about evenly on civil unions. But when the words 'gay marriage' are presented they break 3-to-1 against it.
Gay marriage has jumped out of the closet on to the front page. Everyone from the president of the U.S. to retired four-star general Colin Powell is embracing the issue now supported by most Americans. Still a few people like former First Lady Laura Bush appear to be conflicted.
Particularly black Americans many of them from quotes that I have seen and conversations I've had are sort of insulted that the civil rights movement is being hijacked - the rhetoric of the civil rights movement is being hijacked for something like same sex marriage. Black Americans tend to have a higher degree of religiosity.
Most Americans don't care about gay marriage.
If your neighbor has a completely different view on abortion gay marriage stem cell research all of those things you still are both Americans. Neither one of you is necessarily more patriotic than the other. Neither loves their country any more than the other one does.
I think it's unfortunate that there exists only one path in America to complete social legitimacy and that is marriage. I think for instance that it would be far easier for Americans to elect a black president or a female president than an unmarried president.
I believe in an America where millions of Americans believe in an America that's the America millions of Americans believe in. That's the America I love.
Does the imam have a legal right to build the mosque at Ground Zero? The answer is yes. But is it the right thing to do? The answer is no. And most Americans and most moderate Muslims join with me in that call.
The right to a trial is a core principle of the American legal system. Depriving Americans of these essential liberties undermines the Constitution while doing nothing to strengthen our national security.
I think the issue is that Americans traveling abroad if gotten into legal problems should have access to a fair trial and an impartial tribunal.
Government has the role of suiting people for freedom. People aren't made for freedom spontaneously. There's sort of a 19-year race between when people are born and when they become adults. And government has a role in making them at the end of 19 years suited to be upright trustworthy repositories of popular sovereignty.