Posted on 07/19/2009 8:12:09 AM PDT by La Lydia
Legislation long sought by Democrats that would expand federal hate-crime laws to cover gay and transgendered people has won approval in the Senate, raising expectations among supporters that the time has finally come for it to be enacted...The legislation, named the Matthew Shepard Act after the gay University of Wyoming student beaten to death in 1998, would impose longer prison sentences for offenses motivated by gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. It also would make it easier for federal prosecutors to pursue hate-crime charges when local authorities do not....
The Senate approved the expanded hate-crime bill by voice vote late Thursday night after a 63-28 procedural vote that broke a Republican filibuster. Republicans cast all 28 votes against the bill, but there were also five Republicans who voted for it, delivering crucial support to reach the 60-vote threshold.
Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, led the opposition to the amendment, saying it was irrelevant to the defense bill, to which it was attached, and deserved to be debated at length as stand-alone legislation. Furthermore, he argued the bill was unnecessary....
The measure still faces an uncertain fate. It was passed as an amendment to a defense bill, and the survival of the hate-crime legislation will depend on the political currents that carry the underlying bill...The test will come in a conference committee, where Senate and House negotiators reconcile the chambers' separate versions...
The underlying bill has become a magnet for partisan and interparty conflict, with opposition to White House plans to cut missile-defense spending and eliminate the F-22 fighter jet...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Whereas “love-crimes” are less offensive...../sarc
Disagreeing with Hate Crimes Laws will soon become a Hate Crime itself.
In fact, disagreeing with the Democrats, on anything: soon to be classed as a Hate Crime.
So, it is a “hate crime” for one gay person to kill another gay person?
I’m sure the Maine sisters were part of the usual RINO suspects.
There was an interesting post yesterday about how this would affect pedophiles. If their “sexual orientation” is little kids, and a hate crime can now be based on “sexual orientation,” then pedophiles have been give a green light, and we are no longer allowed to object to their activities if this passes.
I'll await the FBI to arrest and prosecute me for stating the facts.
This country is a Banana Republic now, and 3rd World Countries at least STILL now how to deal with the loonies....they hang 'em.
The Constitution has NO meaning anymore, unless it's for the ACLU/Trial Lawyers to use to gain some money for themselves. Then, we get Activist Judges to rule in their favor, or an OJ Jury to try to rape the "big business" deep pockets to make some sort of Lotto-social-statement.
Don’t forget the Muslims.
.
It does not take much to spin anyone into one of these categories. The goal of this legislation is to allow the Feds to prosecute ANYONE they feel they need to target.
“Gender Identity” tell me who is not identified with a gender?
This has absolutely nothing to do with hate crime and everything to do with expanding the power of the federal government.
Exactly.
All they need to do is show the defendant “thought” the victim was homosexual. This allows anyone to prosecuted by the feds.
You mean those towelhead fools who are "religion bound" to destroy the "Infidels"?
Yes, them. They have freedom of speech and the right to meet, plot to kill us and plan the destruction of our Constitutional form of government, but we don’t have the right of free speech to point it out, or to object.
Is there an appointed Czar yet?
The democrats and their constant quest to keep Americans fragmented and at each others throats with identity politics are a big part of what is wrong in the country today, but republicans are running a very close second.
Republicans are the democrats faithful enablers and accomplices.
When they have enough numbers to stall and prevent passage of bad legislation they do nothing. And when they have the majorities to roll back bad laws and correct past injustices they still do nothing.
The two parties are just two different branches of one Big Government, anti-Constitutional Political party and they both need to be disbanded before America can begin recovery from the damage they have done since 1965.
Welcome to the future of government.
No Equal protection under the law.
And thought-crimes.
McCain has never supported Hate crimes legislation. This is horrible. 5 Republicans. Collins, Lugar, Murkowski, Snowe and Voinovich. I excepted Snowe and Collins but Murkowski? A big disappointment. This still can be removed from the final bill.
A guy walks up to a girl in a bar and says he wants to do X, Y and Z to her. She throws a drink in his face and the bartender has the bouncer toss him. The cop outside runs him in for disorderly conduct.
A Gay guy walks up to a guy in a bar and says he wants to do X, Y and Z to him. He throws a drink in his face and the bartender has the bouncer toss him. The cop outside arrests the bouncer, the bartender and the guy for a Hate Crime and the bar owner and staff have to go to mandatory diversity training.
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