The New Hate Crimes Bill..Plan to remove Freedom of Religion

Paving the Way for Homosexuals to gain civil rights as a protected class

Published on June 28, 2007 By Moderateman In Current Events

Our government is a republic, and in a republic we elect men and women to represent us, {piss poor job that they do} in our legislative bodies and we elect executives to make sure that laws passed by the legislatures are carried out. If our laws are not upheld, anarchy would be the result.

We citizens vote and MOST of us are looking for honest and wise representatives who will RESPECT the consent of the GOVERNED. However it is becoming almost impossible to find these people with so many "self seekers" among those elected to high office.

Last May the Democratic run House passed a bill {Federal Hate Crimes} that mandates further penalties for crimes involving sexual orientation or gender identity. If it passes the Senate it will make Homosexuality and Gender Identity a civil rights issue.

I believe this is a very dangerous bill as it would have ramification on Religion, meaning if a pastor, priest, rabbi says from the pulpit that homosexuality is a sin they could be tried for a hate crime.

Representative Lamar Smith {R TEXAS} said of this bill that " criminal killing a Homosexual will be treated more harshly that a criminal that kills a cop, or a child or a senior citizen or any other person" I believe all people should be treated equally under the eyes of the law.

The republicans offered 25 amendments to clarify and and improve the bill but were denied by the Democratic run house to even be heard.

Dan Lundgren {R CALIFORNIA} asked for further clarification of gender identity, the Democrats refused to discuss it.

Randy Forbes {R VIRGINIA} said that "our military is being attacked in America, being spit on and beaten, in several areas are told not to wear their uniforms while on pass or leave" He wanted to include the military in this hate crimes bill, once again the Democrats refused to discuss it. So much for "looking out and supporting out men and women in uniform huh?"

Other Republican representatives wanted to add senior citizens to this bill, once again the Democrats refused to discuss it. So much for the Liberals taking care of "out honored old folk"

Other Republicans wanted to add pregnant women to the bill, Once again the Democrats that have no problem with murdering children in the womb would not allow discussion about protecting the expectant mothers.

Representative Mike Pence {R INDIANA} presented an important amendment about freedom of religion, concerned about the possibility of religious folk being tried for hate crimes by being faithful to their religion and espousing that homosexuality is a sin, again denied By the Democrats.

Rev. Lou Sheldon head of the Traditional Values Coalition {who was present at the bills vote} said " By refusing to accept any of these amendments the Democrats have Proven their purpose of removing freedom of religion from the constitution. I heartily Agree.

AS Thomas Jefferson once warned "The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." We need to remember his words and see that laws passed by our representative are fair to everyone.

Comments (Page 4)

Dr Guy

on Jun 29, 2007

Only if they've been convicted. If they were found innocent but new evidence was found, or, as Cykomyr put it, the court or judge was "hostile to the victim", then it can, in fact, be re-tried.

Only in a mis-trial. You cannot be tried for the same offenses more than once. You can be charged with other crimes for the same incident, providing you have not been tried on those before.

Moderateman

on Jun 29, 2007

CikomyrJune 29, 2007 16:35:04

Well, that's great. I mean, it will help fight rascism (chink is an insult for asian people, right?)

yes it is an insult to an asian, but come on now this was a 15 year old and this hate crime has ruined his life. I grew up in East Harlem In New York City, I fought with Blacks and Puerto Ricans and in the heat of the moment called them Niggers and spics, MY life should be ruined at 15 because of that?

ParaTed2k

on Jun 29, 2007

Ok, and what if I'm walking with a friend of mine who is gay, and we both get attacked. Will it be a hate crime for attacking him, but just simple assault and battery for attacking me?

Locamama

on Jun 29, 2007

how wrong you are here Amy, My friend Deans {may he rest in peace} grandson, Sonny got into a fight at the age of 15 just a fist fight, BUT he made the mistake of calling his opponent a "CHINK" while fighting, he was charged with assault, and further a hate crime which added TIME to the Assault. that is what a hate crime does multiply the time you get if convicted. I will make it plainer instead of getting 30 days because he was 15 or just probation, he got a year and 5 years probation when he got out because it was deemed a hate crime. Get it yet?

That was probably under a state hate crimes law that obviously was already in effect. The federal hate crimes bill (renamed the Matthew Shepherd bill) won't come to the senate for a vote until August so no one has been prosecuted since it is not yet law. I don't know that it will pass the senate but I expect that Bush will veto it anyway so everyone is getting their panties in a bunch over nothing. Really everyone should spend their time looking at the current hate crimes on the books in their states.

lulapilgrim

on Jun 29, 2007

Hey, ModMan, now add to that this hypothetical...what else would have been added to Sonny's sentence time had he called his opponent a "homo, "fag" or "queer" "Chink" especially in the Ninth District COurt?

Cikomyr

on Jun 29, 2007

Ok, and what if I'm walking with a friend of mine who is gay, and we both get attacked. Will it be a hate crime for attacking him, but just simple assault and battery for attacking me?

Actually, if you are 2 heterosexual who are attacked by people, hitting you down while screaming "Faggot", it will be a hate crime!!!

Locamama

on Jun 29, 2007

Yeah, that's a great idea. Instead of mounting opposition to this sort of law being made FEDERAL, leaving no individual State even the choice to enact or eschew such legislation, we should just shut up and worry about our own back yard.

My point is that those laws are already on the books in over 30 states. The federal law does not have a punishment component, it still has to pass the senate and will probably face a presidential veto.

If you want to call or write your senators about the pending federal hate crimes legislation, be my guest. The issues that everyone seems to be most concerned about differing levels of punishment, free speech etc. are not a part of the federal bill.

lulapilgrim

on Jun 29, 2007

Yet none of these supposedly exalted groups have special protections under law. The concept of equality says they are all the same, human beings with God given inalienable rights. No one should be seen as 'more valuable' or 'more worthy of protection' in the eyes of the law. When we increase penalties for crimes committed against protected classes, we completely lose sight of "equality."

B-I-N-G-O!

I think the federal hate crimes bill that we are discussing passed through the House or is working its way through now.
I got an email asking me to call my representatives. This one is particularly onerous becasue it adds a federal hate crime on top of the state hate crime.

"The new Democrat majority is at it again, but this time they have really outdone themselves! Not only have they proposed yet another bill that violates the U.S. Constitution, but they have managed to introduce new Hate Crimes legislation that undermines not one, not two, but three constitutional guarantees—freedom of speech, religious expression, and equal protection under the law for all Americans!

It was sponsored by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, would make hate crimes (a crime in which the victim is intentionally selected based on his or her race, religion, ethnicity, gender, etc.) a federal offense and it would add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as protected classes in the U.S. criminal code (Title 18). The bill would also mandate federal criminal prosecution for state offenses, with the possibility of life imprisonment, for crimes motivated by the “actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of any person.”

H.R. 1592 violates both the 1st and 14th Amendments by infringing upon these constitutional guarantees:

1----Freedom of Speech—by silencing and punishing all opposing viewpoints.
2----Religious Expression—by targeting faith groups, specifically Christians, who hold traditional beliefs on homosexuality.
3----Equal Protection—by granting more government protection to certain classes of people.

We don’t need a new law! Hate crimes are actually on the decrease! Less than 17% of all law enforcement agencies reported a single hate crime in 2005. We just need strict enforcement of existing laws—to protect ALL Americans equally.

Cikomyr

on Jun 29, 2007

2----Religious Expression—by targeting faith groups, specifically Christians, who hold traditional beliefs on homosexuality.

you could also change "traditional" with "intolerant".

If church supported that blacks aren't the same people as other, would preventing them to spread that belief be that wrong?

Or Jews, or any other group?

Gideon MacLeish

on Jun 29, 2007

you could also change "traditional" with "intolerant".

Right there, cikomyr, you expressed intolerance. Are you not aware that makes you a hypocrite?

You are intolerant against those you view as "intolerant". Don't we have the same rights to freedom of speech as anyone else, or does freedom of speech only entail freedom of speech YOU approve?

ParaTed2k

on Jun 30, 2007

Actually, if you are 2 heterosexual who are attacked by people, hitting you down while screaming "Faggot", it will be a hate crime!!!

Ah, so it is all about the speach and the thought, and not the crime itself.

Moderateman

on Jun 30, 2007

lulapilgrimJune 29, 2007 20:30:31

I shudder to think. lula.

Moderateman

on Jun 30, 2007

(Citizen)little-whipJune 29, 2007 19:50:35

Thank God we didn't fall for this sort of thinking in regards to illegal immigration.

amen sista. the only way to defeat Federal bill is to worry the Senators about their JOBS, this way can can stop this luncay from becoming law.

Moderateman

on Jun 30, 2007

LocamamaJune 29, 2007 20:35:38

Amy the ENTIRE POINT OF MAKING ANY CRIME INTO A HATE CRIME is to do one thing only add time, more punishment. period, I don't care what the bill says the end result is, it will become a hate crime to smack a fag and call him a fag while smacking him, making a simple assault into a hate crime. NOW AMY STOP BEING DENSE AND CONTRARY!

Moderateman

on Jun 30, 2007

CikomyrJune 29, 2007 22:52:20Reply #60

CikomyrJune 29, 2007 22:52:20

If church supported that blacks aren't the same people as other, would preventing them to spread that belief be that wrong?

Or Jews, or any other group?

For 2000 year the biggest Christian Church the roman Catholics preached that JEWS {I AM A JEW} were bad people, we sacrificed babies blah blah blah, no one did shit about it, toll pope John Paul the Second "forgave the JEWS" Which btw pissed me off.
No one did squat about it, NO bills were intoduced to make the Church stop.

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