"The anti - free speech police strike again in Oakland."

George Will. San Antonio EXPRESS - NEWS, Monday, June 25, 2007. [Usual free -wheeling adaptation!]

"Marriage is the foundation of the natural family and sustains family values.

"That sentence is inflammatory, perhaps even a hate crime.

"At least it is in Oakland, California.

"Some African - American Christian women working for Oakland's government organized the Good News Employee Association, or GNEA, which they announced with a flier describing their group as a forum for people of Faith to express their views on the contemporary issues of the day.

With respect for the Natural Family, Marriage and Family Values.

"The only cited disruption was one lesbian's compaint that the flier made her fell targeted and excluded.

"So anyone has the power to be a censor just by saying someone's speech has hurt his or her feelings.

"Congress is trying to enact yet another hate crime law that would authorize enhanced punishments for crimes committed because of, among other things, sexual orientation.

"A coalition of African - American clergy, the High Impact Leadership Coalition, opposes this, fearing it might be used to muzzle the church.

"The clergy argue that in our litigation prone society the legislation would result in lawsuits having a chilling effect on speech and religious liberty.

"As the Oakland case demonstrates, that, too, is predictable."