Are hate crimes any worse than others?

by Keli Sun May 17, 2009 6:21 am

Are hate crimes any worse than others?
Boston Globe ^ | May 17, 2009 | Jeff Jacoby

LEGISLATION pending before Congress would dramatically expand the federal hate-crimes law, and a number of critics are concerned that the bill goes too far. Perhaps the real problem is that it doesn't go far enough.

Under current law, crimes motivated by bias against a victim's race, color, religion, or national origin can be prosecuted by the federal government, so long as the victim had been engaged in a "federally-protected activity" - attending a public school, for example, or being in a place of public accommodation or entertainment. The proposed Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which passed the House last month and is pending in the Senate, would significantly broaden the federal government's reach.

The bill, named for a gay college student beaten to death in Wyoming in 1998, would add four new categories of hate crimes to the federal code: those committed because of someone's sex, sexual orientation, gender (or transgender) identity, and disability. It would eliminate the prerequisite of a "federally-protected activity" and require instead only the loosest connection to interstate commerce. And the proposed legislation would make it far easier for defendants acquitted in state court to be retried at the federal level - a circumvention of the Fifth Amendment's protection against double jeopardy that has prompted four members of the US Civil Rights Commission to publicly oppose the bill.

If enacted, the law will almost certainly be challenged in court. The Constitution does not grant the federal government any general police power - prosecuting crime is primarily a state and local responsibility - and it is far from clear that the Supreme Court would go along with a congressional attempt to federalize such a broad swath of criminal law.

(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...

Are the sociopaths who killed Matthew Shepard examples of the average person bound by this law. Wouldn't almost every person already find the murder of Matthew Shepard to be reprehensible and worthy of the severest punishment? Is the purpose of this law to prevent a senseless psychopathic, sociopathic act; or, is this law a ruse to limit the free speech of those who oppose a political agenda--gay rights?

by SamCogar Sun May 17, 2009 8:41 am

Now silly man, that is a silly question ...... because you alread know that everyone already knows the correct answer to it, .... which is, to wit:

Keli wrote:this law (is) a ruse to limit the free speech of those who oppose a political agenda--gay rights?

by **SheikBen** Sun May 17, 2009 9:38 am

Hi Keli and Sam,

I had a very interesting experience when I was working in disability rights. I worked for a group that was instrumental in getting the ADA passed in 1990 under Bush I, only I was working with them 10 years later. That group at the time I was working for it was seeking hate crimes protection for people with disabilities, and the bill including sexual orientation as well as people with disabilities as protected classes. My memory fails me as to the groups that already were protected, such as political party members, women, the religious, etc.

Well one day folks were talking about the Shepherd murder and someone said (and this was somewhat of an epiphanic moment for me) "I hear he may have had a disability as well, making it EVEN WORSE."

Now this poor guy was beaten and dragged to death. What difference does it make whether he was disabled, gay, a vegetarian, whatever? Wrong is wrong and criminal is criminal. If I threaten someone because they are gay, it is already illegal. If someone is dragged and beaten to death that behavior is illegal, and in Wyoming, punishable by death I believe. It is obvious that hate crimes legislation has nothing to do with stopping a violent activity which is already illegal anyway. The goal is obviously elsewhere.

One need look no further than Perez Hilton to see that a great many in the left want to silence dissent based on faith.

by **Stephanie** Sun May 17, 2009 10:56 am

This hate crime business has always boggled my mind. Is a murder victim any less dead because their murderer killed them for money rather than the color of their skin? Is a rape victim any less violated because she had a certain hair color or was wearing a red dress than if she was targeted because she is a lesbian?

I thought we all deserve equal justice, equal protection under the law. Now these special interest groups aren't just demanding not to be discriminated against they are demanding the right to discriminate themselves. They want to elevate their status to a position of superiority over the rest of us and this is another example.

by SamCogar Sun May 17, 2009 2:58 pm

Wrong is wrong and criminal is criminal. If I threaten someone because they are gay, it is already illegal. If someone is dragged and beaten to death that behavior is illegal,

Mike, and if someone shoots a cop, that was already illegal ...... and they didn't another Law making that act ....... double illegal.

by Cato Mon May 18, 2009 4:59 pm

Sam hits the nail on the head. Hate crime laws are an attack on free speach, by the homosexual movement.

As Sheik put it murder is murder whether it was committed for the sake of robbery or because a person is black, white, or homosexual. To bad the morons in office can't think that far ahead.

by SamCogar Tue May 19, 2009 6:59 am

A good Defense Lawyer could get most any Hate Crime charges .... thrown out of Court.

All he/she would have to do is get his/her client to plead and/or swear to ... the FACT ...... that he/she ..... LOVED ..... doing what he/she did.

A Judge, Prosecutor, Witness or Jury is incapable of determining what someone was thinking when they did what they did. It would be hersey testimony if they claimed said. And I believe there is plenty of Case Law to back that up.

.

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