American brothers and sisters

Here's one that made the Internet rounds last week. New governor of Alabama, Robert Bentley (R.), speaking to a congregation in Montgomery, said:

Anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother.

Got that? Though Bentley has since apologized, that comment is precisely the reason that you can't pay me enough to live below the Mason-Dixon line, ever. A thoughtful, inclusive politician -- or Christian -- who actually believes in the fundamental values that formed the republic wouldn't have said anything like that in the first place. In any event, dig the apology news article and the comments by his constituents, who by and large don't disagree with his statement anyway.