Posted on 08/11/2007 8:31:53 PM PDT by monomaniac
By Elizabeth O'Brien
WASHINGTON, D.C., August 8, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - As the contentious "hate crime" legislation that would add sexual orientation as a specially protected class is put before the Senate, after being passed in the House of Representatives, Bush has promised to veto the proposed bill should the Senate vote in its favor, the Washington Times reports
Democratic Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Republican Oregan Senator Gordon Smith reintroduced the "hate crime" bill, also known as the "Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act" into the Senate this July, buried as one of many amendments to the Defense Reauthorization bill. The bill's inclusion in the Defense Reauthorization bill forces Bush to choose between denying extra resources to his soldiers overseas or allowing the list of "hate-crimes" to include "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" (see http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jul/07071305.html).
Referring to the proposed legislation, White House spokesman Trony Fratto recently told the Times, "The qualifications (in the bill) are so broad that virtually any crime involving a homosexual individual has potential to have hate-crimes elements."
He continued, "The proposals they're talking about are not sufficiently narrow."
Bush promised earlier this May to veto the House of Representatives version of the bill H.R. 1592. The White House issued a statement condemning the bill as "unnecessary" and "constitutionally questionable", noting that it fails to mention any other minority groups that also need protection. Referring to the fact that the bill gave the federal government control over local enforcement, the statement also noted, "There has been no persuasive demonstration of any need to federalize such a potentially large range of violent crime enforcement."
Ashley Horne, Focus on the Family Action federal policy analyst, commented on the hate-crimes bill, saying, "This legislation is unnecessary, creates second-class victims and paves the way for prosecution of religious speech."
"Virtually everywhere 'hate-crime' laws have passed, prosecutions for speech have followed. In Sweden, Canada and Great Britain, 'hate-crime' laws have been used to prosecute Christians speaking their disapproval of homosexual behavior, posing a serious threat to religious liberty and free speech."
The Canadian version homosexual "hate-crime" legislation, Bill C-250, that was given royal support on April 29, 2004, has proved true many of the fears and predictions of concerned Canadians. While attempting to prevent crimes against homosexuals, the bill has in effect opened the door to countless forms of legal action against other groups. Canadians have seen it being used to actively discriminate against religious leaders such as Pastor Stephen Boissoin who publicly denounced homosexuality based on his moral convictions, or companies that have refused to offer their services to homosexuals and has limited the freedom of the press.
Read related LifeSiteNews coverage:
Democrats Refuse Religious Freedom Amendment to Hate Crimes Bill
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/apr/07042601.html
US House Passes Gay Hate Crime Bill
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/may/07050405.html
President Bush Promises to Veto Homosexual Hate Crime Bill if Passed
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/may/07050302.html
Homosexual Hate Crime Signed into Law; Chilling Effect on Free Speech, Religion and Importing Materials
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/apr/04042901.html
Same-Sex "Marriage," "Hate Crimes," and the New Totalitarianism
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/feb/050228a.html
Thank you , God.
Why is this even worth the bandwidth?
It an attempt, one of many, to get gays established as a protected classs under the law.
This is good. Bush’ popularity percentage should rise a few more points.
The whole concept of a “hate” crime is ridiculous.
It is the Orwellian deconstructionism of the modern left. Some victims are more special than others.
You may not care but anybody or church that preaches against this life style could be in danger of fines and jail time.
They want hate itself outlawed — “hate” being any personal judgment of conservative reason.
I wish President Bush would have applied that test to many other pieces of legislation that he signed into law.
Seems they have the temerity to add this gay nonsense to a needed defense appropriation bill, merely to put the president between a rock and a hard place. This shows how little they care about the defense appropriation itself.
They are being their bad little selves.
If I did not care, then I would not be posting out here.
In my home State, a few renegade jurists have come to a place where they are comfortable with the notion that it is permissible for them to be running amok with the Law!
The professional crooks over at Be-A-Con Hill in Boston have no sac, and they are as reprehensible as any group of scum bags of any class could ever be.
Unfortunately, my neighbors are too effing ignorant, partisan, or corrupt to actually give a sheite for posterity.
While I have nothing against homosexuals as long as they don’t hit on me or try to do anything with/to me, whatever happened to the First Amendment, and me being able to call him a long string of insults without getting thrown in jail?
The Democrat congress are listening to their 14% approval base.
condolence accepted, ill be leaving soon enough and i hope to take a house seat with me.
maybe MA can carve up a new district like illinois 4th congressional district when all is said and done and appoint it to another kennedy or bulger. this is after all the nepotism and gerrymander capital of the US.
That and the kook fringe on boards like DU and KOS who don’t yet approve because the current batch hasn’t swung as far left as they would like.
I disagree with Hate Crimes. I consider them to be unConstitutional because all crimes are motivated by hate. I just think our society has sunk to a new level of perversity when we are setting up a special class of protection for who people sleep with.
“They want hate itself outlawed — “hate” being any personal judgment of conservative reason.”
You are absolutely right! No one hates more than liberals, but in their mind they don’t hate or are even capable of hating. But anyone who disagrees with them are meanspirited and hate mongers. This is a very dangerous road to go down. My thanks to Pres. Bush for promising to veto this monstrosity.
I’ll believe it when it happens.
About 10 years.
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