Tom Hanks vs. Mormons

I don't know what it is about Tom Hanks that makes him so damn likable, but it's hard to hate the guy. Even when he stars in hatefully awful movies like Forrest Gump. And apparently, he's hell-bent on remaining the most likable guy in Hollywood, because he's apologizing to Mormons for calling them un-American in their quest to keep gays from marrying. It's a well-known fact by now that the Mormon church funneled millions of dollars into California last fall to push for the passage of Proposition 8, a state-wide ban on gay marriages that had previously been ruled legal by the courts. In his letter of apology to the church, Hanks said, "I believe Proposition 8 is counter to the promise of our Constitution; it is codified discrimination." Hey, that's true! I love that guy! But then he goes on to explain, "But everyone has a right to vote their conscience; nothing could be more American." Hey, that's also true... God, I love that guy. But while the simple act of voting in a democracy couldn't be more American, is that Americanism negated at all when you vote to infringe upon the rights of other citizens? Perhaps Hanks should have chosen his words more carefully. Instead of calling them un-American, he should have been more specific. Mormons are as American as apple pie and monster trucks, but many of them also happen to be ignorant, bigoted, hateful, and obnoxious. Unlike Tom Hanks, who is just swell. More details here.