Posted on 10/06/2004 12:03:31 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
The House of Representatives has voted to urge a conference committee to add "sexual orientation, gender and disability" to federal hate-crimes law, a development some observers say would muzzle Christians who speak out against homosexuality.
On Sept. 28, the House voted 213-186 to pass a procedural motion encouraging a conference committee to include the hate-crimes legislation in the final version of the Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4200).
In June, Sens. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., introduced the new language meant to protect homosexuals as an amendment to the Senate's version of the Defense Authorization Act. The Senate measured passed by a vote of 65-33.
The bill imposes special fines for those who commit a "hate crime" against a protected class and provides federal assistance to those prosecuting such crimes. Existing hate-crimes law provides federal help to states and localities in prosecuting crimes based only on the victim's race, religion or national origin.
Christian activists believe that if passed and signed into law, the legislation could be used to target Americans who voice their opposition to the homosexual lifestyle including pastors preaching and reading the Bible.
"Passage would literally throw open the door to attacks against people of faith, who could be prosecuted with federal monies for expressing their views on homosexuality!" warns Gary Cass, executive director of the Center for Reclaiming America.
Bob Knight, director of the Culture and Family Institute, says if it becomes law the legislation could be used to "muzzle public discussion of homosexuality and even someday silence pastors."
Knight commented, "It's a very dangerous bill, because it adds 'sexual orientation' to hate-crimes law, and it greatly expands federal jurisdiction.
"If your grandmother is mugged, it won't be a big deal [unless she is a lesbian]," Knight said. "And the law-enforcement authorities may have to put more of their revenues toward the mugging, say, of a homosexual guy walking down the street. Both deserve protection, but certainly the gay guy doesn't deserve more than your grandmother."
Wrote Knight in a WorldNetDaily column: "Homosexual activists have redefined any opposition to homosexuality as 'hate speech.' Laws already criminalize speech that incites violence. It's easy to imagine a scenario in which any incident involving a homosexual can be blamed on people who have publicly opposed homosexual activism."
Because it offers special protection to specific class of people, the legislation "violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution," Cass stated.
The Human Rights Campaign hailed last week's House vote.
"Congress should work to protect Americans, not discriminate against them," said HRC President Cheryl Jacques. "We laud Congress for this vote, especially Minority Leader Pelosi for offering this motion and working to get the overwhelming support of her peers. We urge conference committee members to take it to heart keep the federal hate-crimes bill in conference committee."
According to HRC, the House passed a similar motion in September 2000 by a 232-192 vote, but that amendment was removed in conference committee. The homosexual-advocacy group claims the new hate-crimes language has been endorsed by more than 175 law-enforcement, civil-rights, civic and religious organizations.
As WorldNetDaily reported, a new law was passed in Canada that adds sexual orientation as a protected category in the nation's genocide and hate-crimes legislation, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
Opponents of the new law fear the Bible will be deemed "hate literature" under the criminal code in certain instances, as evidenced by the case of a Saskatchewan man fined by a provincial human-rights tribunal for taking out a newspaper ad with Scripture references to verses about homosexuality.
Earlier this year in Sweden, which also has strict hate-crimes laws, a pastor was arrested at his church after he began reading Bible verses condemning homosexuality.
Some states have included sexual orientation in their state hate-crimes laws. Last month, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a bill expanding that state's statute to include not only homosexuals and transgendered people but also people who merely associate with those who are part of a protected class.
"While every hate crime represents a personal tragedy for the victim, hate crimes also are an attempt to intimidate a larger group or community of people," the bills' author, Senator Sheila Kuehl, told 365gay.com. "Hate crimes tear at the fabric of our society and it is important that we have a strong and effective response to them."
In Pennsyvlania, pastors are concerned they could be targeted under that state's new hate-crimes law, which added "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" as motives that trigger heavier penalties for the crime of "harassment."
The Center for Reclaiming America is urging citizens to contact the House members and senators who are on the conference committee to ask them to remove the hate-crimes language from the final bill.
A spokeswoman from the House Armed Services Committee told WND the conference committee's goal is to finalize the bill by Friday, the day Congress is scheduled to adjourn for the month.
What, we're merging with Canuckistan now?
You can burn the truth and you can ban it.
You can wrap it in the heavy weighted chains of silence and throw it into the deepest oubliette and it will change nothing.
It will eternally remain exactly what it is, was and will be always be; the truth.
Let them blind their eyes, deafen their ears and harden their hearts.
Although they may not have to "hear" about it, they will still have to answer for it.
They will condemn themselves, in the end.
John the Baptist wept....
Have these lowlifers in Congress forgotten the Bill of Rights completely or what? Where does this violation of our rights end? And all we hear are complaints about the Patriot Act!!!!
What is going on with the Republicans in Congress?
Here is I believe an English translation of the Swede's sermon that fell under Sweden's hate speech law. Now I don't know about y'all but I read far more spirited and damning homilies in churches in the USA. No doubt we'll be seeing this crap here. Beware of queers with tape recorders in your churches. Of course "Death to the infidels!" and the like will still be protected in mosques (you know it).
Not in the US. NEVER in the US. Keep telling yourself that. The GOP will protect us, right?
"What is going on with the Republicans in Congress?"
Many are corrupt. They have been seduced by a salary and a lifestyle way beyond their experience. Sex, booze, drugs, power, money are all part of the DC lifestyle.
Yep, it's a good thing republicans are in charge. Train, meet Cliff! Blackbird.
We said the same thing about homosexual "marriage." The agenda continues to move forward.
Over 2300 years ago, the Greek philosopher Aristotle commented on the penchant of tyrants to pose as the champions of women and slaves. Since the 18th century, every plan for promoting "equality" invariably involves empowering the central government. Helping the poor and the oppressed is the biggest excuse for enlarging and enhancing the power of the central government ever concocted. The Soviet Union was the dictatorship of the proletariat, wasn't it?
Dementia is running rampant in America. Consider these points:
(A) By the terms of this hate crime law, there can be no debate about marriage, since the concept of it being just for one man/one woman is 'discriminatory & bigotted', therefore hateful. And when transsexuals begin their push to outlaw men's & women's public restroom facilities and have them replaced with genderless ones, there will be no debate allowed because it too, will be deemed hateful. Ditto for the BSA, the Salvation Army, etc
(B) What is sexual orientation except a self-perception? If homosexuals, drag queens, etc., and their 'cultures' become normalized and protected by law, then what arguments can be proffered against doing the same for pederasts, pedophiles, necrophiles, zoophiles, and people who perceive themselves as puppies in need of paper-training? Remember now, according to post-modernists, there are no moral absolutes.......we are, each one of us, moral sovereigns, and no one else has the right to impose their morality upon another. Accordingly, all of the above 'sexual orientations' should have tolerance and sensitivity not only practiced towards them, but their peculiar 'cultural' mores {sexual practices} should rightfully be taught to every American child.
(C) On the one hand, transnationalists and multiculturalists seek to give these peculiar people protected class status under our laws. But on the other hand, these same two groups of people want to deconstruct America as a sovereign nation and retire her Constitution to the dust-bin. And in furtherance of this agenda, they've allowed illegals and other minorities into this nation and encouraged them to not only remain unassimilated, but to actually hate this nation, her culture, etc. Now why on earth should these unassimilated people, many of whom are here illegally, obey this hate crime law when they have no respect for our other laws? Why should they, whose own cultural beliefs inform them that homosexuality is completely abhorrant and unnatural pay any heed to it at all? My money says they won't. Imo, this hate crime law and the people who want to be protected by it, are on a collision course with the unassimilated, but politically powerful immigrant groups. Most especially the MEs.
I've read some Aristotle but don't recall that. I'd like to read it -- can you post the name of the work where Aristotle wrote that? I'll then get it from the library. Thanks!
Beautifully written.
Catholic Ping - let me know if you want on/off this list
Delay and Hastert have tried to keep this bill dead. However, just like McLame-Feinswine, enough RINOs joined with the Rats to force the bill to the floor for a vote. Not a thing Hastert or Delay could do about it.
As for the Senate, they're mostly a lost cause.
Its not with themits with us. More and more conservatives are becoming more obsessed with winning and completely ignoring what we're winning with! Time to drop the abortion stance and start having a stance that all Republicans that running are Judeo/Christians that will defend our rights. Otherwise get your basters ready because in 20 years the ovens will be fired up for us! Demand religion in our leaders! Loose the church vote, loose the election.
It sounds like it is all part of the big plan to me....
(And the big plan is ALMOST complete!!)
The Left is the enemy of human and civil rights.
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