Posted on 09/14/2005 4:28:18 PM PDT by COEXERJ145
WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday unexpectedly backed a measure to expand federal hate crime protection to gay people, a measure that House conservatives had blocked for years.
The Senate has passed similar legislation, which also expanded protections for the disabled, several times in recent years but House conservatives had argued that these cases should be dealt with on a local or state level without additional federal intervention.
This time the hate crime measure was attached to a bipartisan bill known as the Children's Safety Act aimed at tightening reporting requirements for child sex offenders. Companion legislation has not yet moved through the Senate, so the ultimate fate of the gay protection provision is uncertain.
Still backers were jubilant.
(Excerpt) Read more at alertnet.org ...
So Congress wants to protect homosexual sodomites, so they can abuse more children, spread HIV/AIDS to the general public, so more billions of tax money can be spent on AIDS research?
The Demo Rats are actually Socialists, and the Republicans are fake conservatives and fake capitalists.
As a Rabbi in Alabama, I personally know some of my reps from this area. I am ashamed and embarassed at their vote for this piece of shite legislation. Do these guys not have any gumption about them? I understand the reason the Dims voted for this, they represent an area where the "low down" is accepted and practiced by a least half of their men. But why on earth Baccus and Aderholt, both Repubs, would support this is a mystery to me. This is another dark day for our Nation. Shame is due our so-called leaders.
What about the most discriminated members of society?
Southpaws!
Bump & Ping.
Can I have a moment for truth on Matthew Shepard?
Exploiting Matthew Shepard
By Cliff Kincaid | December 22, 2004
Matthew wasn't "gay" and "proud."
He was profoundly troubled.
You know there must be something happening when the New York Times praises ABC News for running "an intellectually brave episode" of the "20/20" show that has angered the homosexual lobby. That means the Times found it convincing, and so did we. In the November 27 show, "20/20" uncovered the truth about the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, widely depicted as a hate crime because he was a homosexual. Almost everything we were told about this murder at the time by ABC, the Times and every other major news organization was false.
We were told that this University of Wyoming student was murdered simply because he was a homosexual. The truth is that he was the victim of a robbery gone bad by two drug addicts. What's more, Shepard was also a heavy drug user who was HIV-positive. Not only were the perpetrators of this brutal crime not "homophobes," but one of them knew Shepherd and was allegedly bisexual. The real story of the Matthew Shepard case, as the prosecutor says on "20/20," concerns the dangers of methamphetamine. The two killers and Shepard were big meth users.
Why were the stories about this crime so wrong? The gay rights movement wanted to depict Shepard as an innocent victim of a homophobic society. This played into their demands for legislation to curb so-called "hate crimes." One of the perpetrators used that to his advantage, arguing when he went on trial that he went into a panic when Shepard tried to proposition him at a bar. His girlfriend made the same claim in the media, including on "20/20." But now they say it was all a ruse, designed to get him a reduced sentence by suggesting that he wasn't in control of his faculties when the murder occurred. The ploy failed. Both of those involved in the murder got life in prison.
ABC and correspondent Elizabeth Vargas are now under heavy fire from the homosexual lobby for dispelling the Shepard myth. But ABC and Vargas ALSO show Shepard to be a very depressed young man, on the verge of suicide, because of his homosexual lifestyle. The "gay rights" lobby doesn't want to face up to that. Matthew wasn't "gay" and "proud." He was profoundly troubled.
And that is why we probably won't see ABC or the rest of the media take this story one step further into the issue of how homosexuals can leave their dangerous lifestyle. Dr. Warren Throckmorton of Grove City College has produced a videotape, "I Do Exist!," on the phenomenon of the ex-homosexuals. The video explains how people fall into the homosexual lifestyle and how they can get out of it. If this kind of message had been available to Matthew Shepard, he might be alive today.
Instead, as "20/20," explains, he was involved in a lifestyle that took him to seedy bars and wild parties, running into people like Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, who would eventually kill him. Their motive, however, was not hatred of homosexuals but money. They wanted Shepard's money to buy more meth. In that regard, Rep. Mark Souder recently presided over a House narcotics subcommittee hearing into the growing national problem of methamphetamine abuse. That's where the media should devote some more of their attention.
http://www.aim.org/media_monitor/2331_0_2_0_C/
Cliff Kincaid is the Editor of the AIM Report and can be reached at cliff.kincaid@aim.org
Excellent post. Right on target, in my opinion.
Good letter. My congressman voted no, which I am very pleased about, but of course the end result anyway is very distressing.
Don't forget those of us with green eyes! LOL
So, this is what happens when the Republicans control both houses of Congress?
"Existing federal law is inadequate to address this problem..."
LOL
Where the eff is the protection of marraige? I am sorely dissappointed with the GOP.
Now it will be a crime to even THINK "homo" or "queer".
Haha. Dream on. They attached this to a sex offender bill. Bush will sign it. Tom Delay and the Pretenders fail us yet again. Thanks to this so-called "Conservative Congress" our borders are wide open to Al Queda, we are spending like drunken sailors, and now preachers reading about "abomination" will be brought up on charges.
Did you hear Specters rant over the Violence Against Women SCOTUS strike-down yesterday? He was furious that Rehnquist (rightly) stopped these jerks from using the Commerce Clause to Federally prosecute discrimination and/or physical or verbal assaults against women. They criticize the SCOTUS for legislating from the bench, but this little Napoleons are happy to make a mockery of the Constitution through outrageous abuse of the Commerce Clause and 14th Amendment. Both Congress and the Judicary are the problem. It is up the President to restrain the excesses of each by refusing to enforce the laws and rulings that are clearly unconstitutional. The President has this power. It is well past time he used it.
Here are the 30 Republicans who voted for the amendment to the law that would add increased penalties for "hate crimes" against gays, along with a possible explanation for their vote:
Bass (NH) Bass is quite socially liberal, and his district voted for Gore and Kerry.
Biggert (IL) Biggert is, and has always been, a RINO---her district is strongly Republican, and we should work to defeat her in the 2006 primary.
Boehlert (NY) One of the most liberal RINOs in the House; his district is one of the most Republican in Upstate New York, voting for Bush in 2000 and 2004, and conservatives have come close to beating him in past primaries.
Bono (CA) Has a moderate-to-conservative record, pretty well suited to her district, but it's a shame she caved on this issue, as did so many.
Castle (DE) Pretty much a RINO, but Delaware leans a bit Democrat, and Castle is a popular former governor who would be very difficult to beat in a primary.
Dent (PA) Dent is fairly conservative, and his distrist split almost evenly between Bush and Kerry---apparently, hate crime legislation for gays is popular in Southeastern Pennsylvania, since every Congressman from the region voted for the amendment.
Diaz-Balart, Lincoln (FL) The elder Diaz-Balart usually votes conservative on social issues, but may be providing some cover for his younger brother Mario and his neighboring colleague Ros-Lehtinen.
Diaz-Balart, Mario (FL) (t has long been rumored that Mario, who has never married and who has sponsored pro-gay legislation, may be gay himself, which could explain his vote.
Fitzpatrick (PA) The conservative Fitzpatrick is a freshman incumbent in a district carried by Gore and Kerry and where presumably hate crime laws for gays are popular---we should give him some leeway, since it's doubtful that someone with a 100% conservative record could hold the seat.
Foley (FL) Foley is fairly liberal on social issues, especially when it comes to special rights for gays; he was "outed" by a gay newspaper last year and it is safe to assume that he is indeed gay, which would explain his vote.
Gerlach (PA) Another SE PA Republican from a marginal district who voted for the amendment; Gerlach has been disappointing on many votes, and it is arguable that his lack of support among conservatives is what led to his inability to get over 51% in either 2002 or 2004,
Johnson (CT) Johnson may be *the* most liberal RINO in the House, but unfortunately is well entrenched in her Republican-leaning district.
Kelly (NY) Has a fairly liberal record on social issues, so her vote is no surprise; I think a more conservative Republican would be able to hold her basically Republican district.
Kirk (IL) A RINO in a district that gave Gore and Kerry smallish margins---we could do A LOT better in that district. But perhaps gay hate crimes laws are as popular in Illinois as in SE PA, since several more conservative Republicans from IL voted for the amendment as well.
Kolbe (AZ) An openly gay RINO, his vote on the issue was never in doubt. Kolbe sits in a district that gave Bush 53% in 2004, and there's no reason why its congressman should support partial-birth abortion and gay marriage. Conservatives should support Randy Graf in the GOP primary.
LaHood (IL) LaHood has never been a reliable Republican vote, but his vote for a gay hate crimes law surprised me. Perhaps the measure is popular in Illinois (even in LaHood's Republican district), and since the weasely LaHood is running for Governor he may be concerned that RAT Governor Blagojevich would call him "divisive" had he voted against it.
Leach (IA) A popular RINO from a heavily Democrat district (tied with Simmons of CT as the GOP congressman representing the district with the lowest percentage for Bush in 2004: 43%), we can't expect any different from Leach.
LoBiondo (NJ) LoBiondo is conservative on social issues, and this vote may be due to either gay hate crime laws being popular in South Jersey (which is part of the Philly metro area, and would jibe with the votes by SE PA congressmen) or because LoBiondo might run for the Senate next year and doesn't want to alienate RINOs.
McCotter (MI) This vote really puzzles me. McCotter is fairly conservative, and the only other Michigan Republican to vote for the bill is a RINO. His district voted rather narrowly for Bush in 2004, but I don't think he would need to vote for the amendment to ensure his reelection.
Platts (PA) Platts is a conservative Republican from an overwhelmingly Republican district. Could hate crime laws for gays be that popular in the Republican heartland? Or has the region been contaminated by the "Schuylkill Punch" (Philly tap water) that is like an hour away?
Reichert (WA) He is a freshman from a district that voted for Gore and Kerry, so this vote is not surprising.
Ros-Lehtinen (FL) She usually votes conservative on social issues, but has recently voted like a liberal on gay issues, probably because her district now includes South Beach and Key West, both of which have large gay populations.
Saxton (NJ) See LoBiondo (from an adjoining district) above.
Schwarz (MI) Schwarz is a RINO who managed to win the primary in this conservative district only because something like 7 conservatives ran and split the conservative vote. Hopefully, conservatives will coalesce around a single candidate this time (maybe Tim Walberg?).
Shays (CT) A RINO who had a close 2004 race in a district that voted for Gore and Kerry, this vote is par for the course for him. A 100% conservative probably couldn't hold this seat, but we could certainly elect someone better than Shays.
Shimkus (IL) An Illinois conservative, leading credence to the theory that gay hate crime laws are popular in IL.
Simmons (CT) A RINO, but in a district so heavily Democrat that he's the best we can do there.
Walden (OR) He sits in a heavily GOP district, yet sometime casts disappointing votes. It may be time for a primary challenge to keep him honest.
Weldon (PA) Weldon has a conservative voting record despite representing a suburban Philly district that voted for Gore and Kerry---we should give him some leeway.
Weller (IL) A conservative from a marginal district in Illinois, his vote does not come as a surprise.
And here are the 5 conservative Democrats who voted against the amendment; all of them are conservative enough so that they would be welcome additions to the GOP caucus and represent districts that would reelect them even if they switched parties):
Berry (AR)
Boren (OK)
Davis (TN)
Tanner (TN)
Taylor (MS)
Bono represents a lot of gays in Palm Springs and her stepdaughter, Chastity, is a lesbian. No surprise.
I've always thought that Mike Castle's personal life was an open secret in Delaware. I've seen that mentioned elsewhere. Anyway, he's a liberal RINO no matter what his personal details are.
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