Senate Backs Stronger (Gay) Hate Crime Protections

Reuters ^ | 6-15-04 | Joanne Kenen

[Always Right]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Legislation to strengthen 1960s-era federal hate crime law and broaden it to cover gay people and the disabled overwhelmingly passed the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.

The legislation was passed by a 65-33 vote as an amendment to a defense bill. Backers hope the large bipartisan margin will ensure the measure remains part of the bill after negotiations with the House of Representatives.

The House, which has been less sympathetic to the hate crimes legislation, did not include hate crimes in its version of the defense bill.

Eighteen Republicans joined all the Senate Democrats present to pass the measure expanding current law, which deals with crimes motivated by race, religion or national origin.

[Always Right]

Old thread pulled because disgusting source, but here it is in the lamestream....The GOPers in the House must stick to their guns on this one.

[Always Right]

The House, which has been less sympathetic to the hate crimes legislation, did not include hate crimes in its version of the defense bill.

And why should such poop belong in a defense bill? Because it can't pass on it own.

[glock rocks]

Oh, I'll wait here for Senate republicans to stand up to the fairies.

Waiting.

tap. tap. tap. tap.

I used to not care about their shenanigans... now they just piss me off, the oh-so-special among us.

Bullshit.

[RunningJoke]

"Ours is the golden age of minorities. At no time in the past have dissident minorities felt so much at home and had so much room to throw their weight around. They speak and act as if they were "the people," and what they abominate most is the dissent of the majority. The self-assertion of the majority, except on election day, is seen as a threat to freedom. It used to be minorities looked over their shoulders wondering what the majority thought of them. Now it is the majority that wonders what the minorities think."

[Mo1]

pING

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Smith said it was appropriate to link the hate crimes amendment to the defense bill because many of the crimes involved military personnel attacking fellow soldiers or sailors.

Ah..more of the agenda revealed.

Please tell me why it is worse for a gay person to be murdered because he is gay than for a gay person to be murdered because of some other reason. Murder is murder. Asault is asault. What if someone murders their cheating spouse? Since the spouse clearly has a polygamous type sexual orientation, should this crime receive special federal attention? What if someone murders a known child molester? That's about his sexual orientation isn't it?

This is as more about setting premises than it is about real crime. As the activist says -- she hopes those who vote for this bill will see how the principle applies to marriage -- this establishes the principle that gayness is not a behavior but a state of being.

[plain talk]

This is going to be a dreadful thread that will probably need to get pulled. I'm spitting mad reading this crap about these cowards in Congress who haven't the balls and courage to stop this. Transgenders? No new special laws that deal with hate are needed for people who have cosmetic surgery performed on themselves.

Hopefully the house will fix this or Bush better veto it. I doubt even Bush has the courage to stand up to this crap. The problem is a lack of articulate pit-bull Republicans in Washington D.C.

[ICX]

More media bias. At the top of the article...

"Smith said anyone who opposed protecting gay people from violence citing "family values" was espousing "counterfeit" family values. "I can see no family value that is served by tolerance of discrimination," he told reporters. "

And the very last sentence...

"Opposing the legislation, Republicans Jeff Sessions of Alabama and Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania said they thought hate crimes were better dealt with on a local rather than federal level. "

The insinuation throughout the story, and with the 'hate crime' legislation, is that if you oppose the legislation, then you must hate gay people. No rationalization is required past that. I don't trust the federal government's ability to universally discern the standards for a 'hate crime' down to the local level, just like Santorum. Furthermore, every crime committed by a heterosexual against a homosexual will probably now fit under the umbrella of 'hate crime.' I can't stand this.

[Mo1]

Who were the 18 Senators?

[JohnnyZ]

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=2&vote=00114

Question: On the Amendment (Smith Amdt. No. 3183 )
Vote Number:	114	Vote Date:	June 15, 2004, 04:01 PM
Required For Majority:	1/2	Vote Result:	Amendment Agreed to
Amendment Number:	S.Amdt. 3183 to S. 2400 (National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 )
Statement of Purpose:	To provide Federal assistance to States and local jurisdictions to prosecute hate crimes.

Vote Counts:	YEAs	65
	NAYs	33
	Not Voting	2

Vote Summary

By Senator Name

By Vote Position

By Home State

Alphabetical by Senator Name

Akaka (D-HI), Yea Alexander (R-TN), Yea Allard (R-CO), Nay Allen (R-VA), Yea Baucus (D-MT), Yea Bayh (D-IN), Yea Bennett (R-UT), Yea Biden (D-DE), Yea Bingaman (D-NM), Yea Bond (R-MO), Nay Boxer (D-CA), Yea Breaux (D-LA), Yea Brownback (R-KS), Nay Bunning (R-KY), Nay Burns (R-MT), Nay Byrd (D-WV), Yea Campbell (R-CO), Yea Cantwell (D-WA), Yea Carper (D-DE), Yea Chafee (R-RI), Yea Chambliss (R-GA), Nay Clinton (D-NY), Yea Cochran (R-MS), Nay Coleman (R-MN), Yea Collins (R-ME), Yea Conrad (D-ND), Yea Cornyn (R-TX), Nay Corzine (D-NJ), Yea Craig (R-ID), Nay Crapo (R-ID), Nay Daschle (D-SD), Yea Dayton (D-MN), Yea DeWine (R-OH), Yea Dodd (D-CT), Yea

Dole (R-NC), Nay Domenici (R-NM), Nay Dorgan (D-ND), Yea Durbin (D-IL), Yea Edwards (D-NC), Yea Ensign (R-NV), Yea Enzi (R-WY), Nay Feingold (D-WI), Yea Feinstein (D-CA), Yea Fitzgerald (R-IL), Nay Frist (R-TN), Nay Graham (D-FL), Yea Graham (R-SC), Nay Grassley (R-IA), Nay Gregg (R-NH), Yea Hagel (R-NE), Nay Harkin (D-IA), Yea Hatch (R-UT), Nay Hollings (D-SC), Yea Hutchison (R-TX), Nay Inhofe (R-OK), Nay Inouye (D-HI), Yea Jeffords (I-VT), Not Voting Johnson (D-SD), Yea Kennedy (D-MA), Yea Kerry (D-MA), Not Voting Kohl (D-WI), Yea Kyl (R-AZ), Nay Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea Leahy (D-VT), Yea Levin (D-MI), Yea Lieberman (D-CT), Yea Lincoln (D-AR), Yea

Lott (R-MS), Nay Lugar (R-IN), Yea McCain (R-AZ), Nay McConnell (R-KY), Nay Mikulski (D-MD), Yea Miller (D-GA), Yea Murkowski (R-AK), Yea Murray (D-WA), Yea Nelson (D-FL), Yea Nelson (D-NE), Yea Nickles (R-OK), Nay Pryor (D-AR), Yea Reed (D-RI), Yea Reid (D-NV), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Nay Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea Santorum (R-PA), Nay Sarbanes (D-MD), Yea Schumer (D-NY), Yea Sessions (R-AL), Nay Shelby (R-AL), Nay Smith (R-OR), Yea Snowe (R-ME), Yea Specter (R-PA), Yea Stabenow (D-MI), Yea Stevens (R-AK), Yea Sununu (R-NH), Nay Talent (R-MO), Nay Thomas (R-WY), Nay Voinovich (R-OH), Yea Warner (R-VA), Yea Wyden (D-OR), Yea

Vote Summary

By Senator Name

By Vote Position

By Home State

Grouped By Vote Position

YEAs ---65
Akaka (D-HI) Alexander (R-TN) Allen (R-VA) Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) Bennett (R-UT) Biden (D-DE) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Breaux (D-LA) Byrd (D-WV) Campbell (R-CO) Cantwell (D-WA) Carper (D-DE) Chafee (R-RI) Clinton (D-NY) Coleman (R-MN) Collins (R-ME) Conrad (D-ND) Corzine (D-NJ) Daschle (D-SD) Dayton (D-MN)	DeWine (R-OH) Dodd (D-CT) Dorgan (D-ND) Durbin (D-IL) Edwards (D-NC) Ensign (R-NV) Feingold (D-WI) Feinstein (D-CA) Graham (D-FL) Gregg (R-NH) Harkin (D-IA) Hollings (D-SC) Inouye (D-HI) Johnson (D-SD) Kennedy (D-MA) Kohl (D-WI) Landrieu (D-LA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (D-CT) Lincoln (D-AR)	Lugar (R-IN) Mikulski (D-MD) Miller (D-GA) Murkowski (R-AK) Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Pryor (D-AR) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Sarbanes (D-MD) Schumer (D-NY) Smith (R-OR) Snowe (R-ME) Specter (R-PA) Stabenow (D-MI) Stevens (R-AK) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (R-VA) Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---33
Allard (R-CO) Bond (R-MO) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burns (R-MT) Chambliss (R-GA) Cochran (R-MS) Cornyn (R-TX) Craig (R-ID) Crapo (R-ID) Dole (R-NC)	Domenici (R-NM) Enzi (R-WY) Fitzgerald (R-IL) Frist (R-TN) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Hagel (R-NE) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Kyl (R-AZ)	Lott (R-MS) McCain (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) Nickles (R-OK) Roberts (R-KS) Santorum (R-PA) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Sununu (R-NH) Talent (R-MO) Thomas (R-WY)

Not Voting - 2
Jeffords (I-VT)	Kerry (D-MA)

Vote Summary

By Senator Name

By Vote Position

By Home State

Grouped by Home State

Alabama:	Sessions (R-AL), Nay	Shelby (R-AL), Nay
Alaska:	Murkowski (R-AK), Yea	Stevens (R-AK), Yea
Arizona:	Kyl (R-AZ), Nay	McCain (R-AZ), Nay
Arkansas:	Lincoln (D-AR), Yea	Pryor (D-AR), Yea
California:	Boxer (D-CA), Yea	Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Colorado:	Allard (R-CO), Nay	Campbell (R-CO), Yea
Connecticut:	Dodd (D-CT), Yea	Lieberman (D-CT), Yea
Delaware:	Biden (D-DE), Yea	Carper (D-DE), Yea
Florida:	Graham (D-FL), Yea	Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Georgia:	Chambliss (R-GA), Nay	Miller (D-GA), Yea
Hawaii:	Akaka (D-HI), Yea	Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Idaho:	Craig (R-ID), Nay	Crapo (R-ID), Nay
Illinois:	Durbin (D-IL), Yea	Fitzgerald (R-IL), Nay
Indiana:	Bayh (D-IN), Yea	Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Iowa:	Grassley (R-IA), Nay	Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Kansas:	Brownback (R-KS), Nay	Roberts (R-KS), Nay
Kentucky:	Bunning (R-KY), Nay	McConnell (R-KY), Nay
Louisiana:	Breaux (D-LA), Yea	Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
Maine:	Collins (R-ME), Yea	Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Maryland:	Mikulski (D-MD), Yea	Sarbanes (D-MD), Yea
Massachusetts:	Kennedy (D-MA), Yea	Kerry (D-MA), Not Voting
Michigan:	Levin (D-MI), Yea	Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Minnesota:	Coleman (R-MN), Yea	Dayton (D-MN), Yea
Mississippi:	Cochran (R-MS), Nay	Lott (R-MS), Nay
Missouri:	Bond (R-MO), Nay	Talent (R-MO), Nay
Montana:	Baucus (D-MT), Yea	Burns (R-MT), Nay
Nebraska:	Hagel (R-NE), Nay	Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Nevada:	Ensign (R-NV), Yea	Reid (D-NV), Yea
New Hampshire:	Gregg (R-NH), Yea	Sununu (R-NH), Nay
New Jersey:	Corzine (D-NJ), Yea	Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea
New Mexico:	Bingaman (D-NM), Yea	Domenici (R-NM), Nay
New York:	Clinton (D-NY), Yea	Schumer (D-NY), Yea
North Carolina:	Dole (R-NC), Nay	Edwards (D-NC), Yea
North Dakota:	Conrad (D-ND), Yea	Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Ohio:	DeWine (R-OH), Yea	Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Oklahoma:	Inhofe (R-OK), Nay	Nickles (R-OK), Nay
Oregon:	Smith (R-OR), Yea	Wyden (D-OR), Yea
Pennsylvania:	Santorum (R-PA), Nay	Specter (R-PA), Yea
Rhode Island:	Chafee (R-RI), Yea	Reed (D-RI), Yea
South Carolina:	Graham (R-SC), Nay	Hollings (D-SC), Yea
South Dakota:	Daschle (D-SD), Yea	Johnson (D-SD), Yea
Tennessee:	Alexander (R-TN), Yea	Frist (R-TN), Nay
Texas:	Cornyn (R-TX), Nay	Hutchison (R-TX), Nay
Utah:	Bennett (R-UT), Yea	Hatch (R-UT), Nay
Vermont:	Jeffords (I-VT), Not Voting	Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Virginia:	Allen (R-VA), Yea	Warner (R-VA), Yea
Washington:	Cantwell (D-WA), Yea	Murray (D-WA), Yea
West Virginia:	Byrd (D-WV), Yea	Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
Wisconsin:	Feingold (D-WI), Yea	Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Wyoming:	Enzi (R-WY), Nay	Thomas (R-WY), Nay

Vote Summary

By Senator Name

By Vote Position

By Home State

[JohnnyZ]

The usual suspects, plus Allen, Coleman, Gregg, Ensign, Bennett

[Mister Baredog]

I hope the Republicans LOSE the Senate, then they'll have an excuse for allowing the Demoncrats to run the place.

[glock rocks]

Bennett is retiring. Good.

[Theodore R.]

I have not read that Sen. Robert Bennett is retiring. Is this true?

[Theodore R.]

These 18 "Republican" senators, including Alexander's Ragtime Band man, remind me of the old joke about conjugating an irregular verb:

sick, worse, dead!

At this rate, the GOP Senate will be a forgotten memory come January 2005.

[glock rocks]

I have not read that Sen. Robert Bennett is retiring. Is this true?

No. I'm having a "what the hell was I thinking" senior moment. I'll get over it. Sorry.

[take]

Hate-Crimes Bill Itself a Hate-Crime
http://www.lewrockwell.com/roberts/roberts16.html

[Bogey78O]

Well I guess you can add gays to the list of women, blacks, and latinos that you're forbidden to fire.

Luckily white men and asians (for some strange reason) are kosher to fire.

[Bogey78O]

And our liberal senators from Louisiana come through as always. We will forever be cursed with 2 senators that need a knife to their neck(metaphor for elections) to vote conservative.

[COEXERJ145]

The usual suspects, plus Allen, Coleman, Gregg, Ensign, Bennett

At least I know my two Senators did the right thing.