What Happens When a Hindu Democrat

goes to a Christian Coalition candidates' forum? Well, it seems that he builds bridges. Shyam Reddy, a good friend of mine, visited the Georgia Christian Coalition candidates' forum in January. He was unapologetic for his politics, including his pro-choice stance, and earned the respect, if not the votes, of a lot of the folks there.

When asked if any candidate wasn't "pro-life," Reddy recalls that he responded, "'I prefer life over death. I prefer abortion over many of the alternatives women face.' Sure, I was called names when I said that -- 'murderer' and 'baby killer.' But afterward, people came up, shook my hand and said they respected me."

I think Shyam deserves a lot of credit for his willingness to embrace the true meaning of the word 'diversity,' which liberals seem to bandy about but fail to truly appreciate. Diversity means more than just gays and blacks. Diversity requires us to respect everybody -- including conservative Christians. And I'm glad Shyam understands that.