Free Republic

The Senate is working to wrap up an anti-Asian hate crimes bill this week as senators near a deal on changes to the legislation. The bill, introduced by Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), will likely come up for a vote as early as Wednesday, a Senate Democratic aide confirmed to The Hill. "I'm optimistic we can finish our work on the anti-Asian hate crimes bill later this week in the same manner we started it, with an overwhelming bipartisan vote. And let me say it's needed," Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said from the Senate floor on Monday.

A London council is recruiting 2,000 residents to report on their neighbours and join a growing network of “citizen snoopers” in the capital. “Neighbourhood Champions” will be expected to pass on evidence of graffiti, fly-tipping, litter and excessive noise. They could eventually be trained to report child abuse, domestic violence, racial harassment and other “hate crimes”. The plan is expected to be approved this week in Harrow. The council says the scheme, which has the backing of the Met commander for the borough, will increase pride in the community. But critics today raised fears over civil liberties, warning that it...

A "hate crimes" bill opponents claim will be used to crack down on Christian speech, even the reading of the Bible, was signed into law today by President Obama. The Senate approved the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act by a vote of 68-29 on Oct. 22 after Democrats strategically attached it to a "must-pass" $680 billion defense appropriations plan. Most Republicans, although normally strong supporters of the U.S. military, opposed the bill because it hands out federal money to states and local governments in pursuit of "preventing" hate crimes. The bill creates federal protections and...

The U.S. Senate has passed the homosexual hate-crimes bill and will now send it to President Obama to sign it into law. This bill is a trojan horse to legitimize the creation of more laws that will completely obliterate the 1st amendment of the United States. Many homosexual organizations say this is a victory, however they are just being used to further infringe on Americans rights to free speech. In a 68-29 vote, senators passed 2010 National Defense Authorization Act, which includes the hate crimes measure that adds “sexual orientation” and “gender identity,” as well as disability, to the current...

GOP congressmen accuse House Democrats of “using” the military and an otherwise bipartisan defense-funding bill as a means to ram through a key piece of legislation on the homosexual activist agenda – expanding the definition of hate crimes to include sexual orientation.

On April 29, The House of representatives passed the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 (H.R. 1913) by a vote of 249 to 175. It is expected to be taken up in the Senate any day now. Critics of the measure contend that, if the bill becomes law, it will force local and state law enforcement to prosecute and sentence individuals not only for the crimes they commit, but also for their beliefs—a slippery slope which will take the country down the road toward eventually criminalizing the thoughts of the American people.

Today, the House is expected to pass the H.R. 1913 Hate Crime Bill, which some are calling a special rights bill for a special group of people. Proponents of the new federal Hate Crime Law say there's an epidemic of violent hate crimes taking place across the nation that mandates federal protection of certain group -- those of a different sexual orientation. But no actual proof of this epidemic was produced. The language in The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act also seems to claim current laws against violent crimes are insufficient to prosecute crime against gender, gender identity,...

How the Hate Crime Legislation could be an Infringement of Free Speech and Religion. On Wednesday, April 22, the House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on so-called "hate crimes" legislation, which would give "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" the same federal protection as race. If enacted, it would provide federal assistance to state and local law enforcement to prosecute hate crimes. It would also authorize the federal government to investigate crimes where the victim was targeted because he or she belongs to one of the protected groups.

The new H.R. 1913, named the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Act of 2009 is camouflaged because it seemingly provides protection for hate crimes against race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or those with disabilities. But some suspect it will be primarily used to service one special group. This bill is about making violent crimes of any kind, but especially against homosexuals, a federal crime as well as a local one. It begs the questions, "Is this really necessary? Do we need more legislation to protect a special group? Aren't current laws against violence sufficient to...

One of the gravest threats to religious liberty and freedom of speech is proposed hate crime legislation. Even while national attention is focused is on the economy and Obama’s radical economic and foreign policy, the far left is at work undermining our First Amendment rights at home with hate crime legislation. In other countries where these types of laws have been implemented, pastors and Christians have been jailed and fined for their faithful adherence to the scriptures. US Congressman John Conyers is reintroducing the same hate crime bill that was passed in the last Congress, but was vetoed by President...

Those on Capitol Hill still call their branch of government "The Congress," but they refuse to operate the branch as directed by the Constitution. In reality, those on Capitol Hill often act more like they are a combination state legislature and city council. For instance, last week the Senate was arguing about yet another hate crime bill (S. 625). Senate Republicans blocked action on the hate crime bill and Democrats were crying like little kids about it. That bill would make it a federal crime to violently attack someone because of their sexual orientation or other physical disability. The problem...