[wardaddy]

Preferential victims....what a load, how does SCOTUS uphold this pandering disguised as garbage.

[Blood of Tyrants]

My senator, Lamar Alexander voted for it. When I wrote him a letter taking him to task for it he responded with this:

Dear xxxxx,

Thanks very much for getting in touch with me and for letting me know what's on your mind regarding hate crimes legislation.

In June 2004, the Senate, with my support, approved an amendment to defense legislation regarding hate crimes. This amendment applies only to violent crimes and in no way affects freedom of speech. I voted for this amendment because I consider this civil rights legislation protecting the rights of individuals, and I have always supported civil rights legislation.

I'll be sure to keep your comments on this issue in mind as it is debated in Washington and in Tennessee.

Sincerely,

Lamar

To which I responded:

And the ATF doesn't keep secret firearms owners lists and the Total Information Awareness program doesn't mine data on ordinary Americans and the Rico act will never be used to steal property from citizens just on suspicion of "drug related activity" and the check's in the mail and you are from the government and you are here to help.

Yea. Right.

Do you thing that the people are as stupid as the Democrats believe them to be? I guarantee you that within a year that some or several pro-homosexual groups will be screaming into the ear of sympathetic politicians to use this law to prosecute or silence ANY criticism of their perverted lifestyle. If you are so blinded or naive to believe this won't happen then please don't run for office again.

[fso301]

How is this an interstate issue outside the jurisdictions of State and local law enforcement?

[Cubs Fan]

THe new demoRat underhanded tactic, attach their garbage to defense bills.

And as usual the republican response is nonexistent

[mrustow]

So Winnie Stachelberg considers Sen. Russ Campaign Censorship Feingold a "top 1st Amendment speech advocate[s]."

With "top 1st Amendment advocates" like that, who needs censors? Up is down, and down is up.

But then, Stachelberg is surely one of those homosexual advocates who for years said that conservatives warning of her and her comrades' attempt to impose same-sex marriage were "ludicrous." That was just another "red herring," right?

[Libertarianize the GOP]

"There are top 1st Amendment speech advocates in the U.S. Senate--Sen. [Russ] Feingold [D.-Wis.] being one of them-- who support this legislation." Feingold co-authored the campaign finance reform bill

Authoring a bill to gut the first amendment qualifies someone as a "top 1st Amendment speech advocate."

[lowbridge]

bump

[Unam Sanctam]

Sen. John Sununu (R.-N.H.), who took considerable heat from gay rights groups for his "no" vote on this controversial bill, raised another objection in a written statement. "Legislation that singles out certain violent crimes for special prosecution or additional penalties is unfair to the families of those victims whose murders are not given such special consideration," he said.

Exactly right -- we are measuring the heinousness of a violent crime by whether the victim did or did not belong to a predetermined "victim" class. That is not equal protection of the laws.

[JesseHousman]

Hate Crimes legislation is nothing more than a veiled attempt at denying the American people their Constitutional rights, and granting special rights to homosexuals

[backhoe]

From my old files:

Letter to the Editors, Washington Times, circa fall, 1998:

---

In the waning hours of the 105th Congress, quiet efforts to pass controversial legislation are under way.

The Hate Crimes Prevention Act... cites violence based on sexual orientation as a Hate Crime.

Hate Crimes have commonly been racially motivated. Only in Canada has sexual orientation been included in anti-hate and human rights legislation. The Canadian law does not focus exclusively on physical violence-- it includes all forms of communication as well.

...As a Canadian living in the United States, I fear for your freedom, mainly because you take it for granted.

If my words were published in a Canadian newspaper... I would be charged with inciting hate under the criminal code.

Freedom of speech no longer exists in Canada-- I could not state that AIDS is largely found within the homosexual community, nor quote statistics to back up my assertion.
My opinion would make me a criminal. Since "tolerance" has been redefined... only Political Correctness is tolerated...

The Hate Crimes Prevention Act is a signifigant foot in the door for homosexual rights lobbyists-- it validates the entire... movement as an endangered group in need of special legislative protection.

Violence against any person is already illegal, no matter what the motive.

I find it offensive that violence is noteworthy only when the victim ( is)... a member of some political action group.

Susan Mayhew
Herndon, Virginia