Posted on 04/26/2007 1:34:30 AM PDT by Man50D
Edited on 04/26/2007 2:08:18 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
A fast-tracked congressional plan to add special protections for homosexuals to federal law would turn "thoughts, feelings, and beliefs" into criminal offenses and put Christians in the bull's-eye, according to opponents.
"H.R. 1592 is a discriminatory measure that criminalizes thoughts, feelings, and beliefs [and] has the potential of interfering with religious liberty and freedom of speech," according to a white paper submitted by Glen Lavy, of the Alliance Defense Fund.
As James Jacobs and Kimberly Potter observed in Hate Crimes, Criminal Law, and Identity Politics, 'It would appear that the only additional purpose [for enhancing punishment of bias crimes] is to provide extra punishment based on the offender's politically incorrect opinions and viewpoints,'" said Lavy.
The proposal has been endorsed by majority Democrats on the committee, and already has 137 sponsors in the full House, making it possible it could be voted on in a matter of days or weeks.
"This is a terrible thing, to criminalize thought or emotion or even speech," Lavy told WND, referring to H.R. 1592, now pending at the committee level in the U.S. House. Democrats there have been turning back amendments that would strip it of its worst provisions, according to an observer.
Bishop Harry Jackson, chairman of the High Impact Leadership Coalition, said the plan, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Protection Act of 2007, is no more than "a surreptitious attempt by some in Congress to strip the nation of religious freedom and the ability to preach the gospel from our church pulpits."
"It will stamp all over our doctrine and practice of our faith," he said. "We believe what the Bible says. If you start there we've got a major problem."
*******
H. R. 1592 Sponsors an Full Text
*******
I look to the civil rights laws that have allowed prosecution for murders of the 50s and 60s where the perps walked due to jury nullification.
While I'm not thrilled with that law either from the perspective of double jeopardy, it's the law, and I support the prosecutions. They've corrected clear injustaces.
However consistancy requires that when a popular public figure walks on two counts of murder due to race based jury nullification, Justice has to move in and file federal charges.
OJ may be looking over his sholder for the FBI, but I doubt it.
Bad law, it will only contribute to a lack of faith in the justice system.
The ultimate irony, the states handle violent crime just fine. Better some places than others, but violent hate crimes aren't given a pass anywhere.
I agree there's no need for "hate crime" laws, they largely cover acts that are already illegal.
However there is a role to be played in sentencing, at a state level, and from a practical perspective that's what these laws are about. The politicos call them "hate crime laws" rather than sentencing laws because that culls votes.
Presume in Red State perp A goes out drinking, gets in a argument over his favorite sports team, and after many drinks assaults a Blue State team supporter and breaks his nose.
A Blue State resident hates gays, sees someone swishing down the street, crosses, assaults him and breaks his nose.
Presume the penalty for assault is probation to ten years.
I'd suggest that Blue States motivation both suggests a greater risk of recidivist, and likely merits a more severe sentence as he may present a greater risk to society.
That's the concept. It's not about separating victim groups, rather addressing the motivation of the criminal.
I think the bill is foolish as I've noted a number of times, but I've actually read the bill, and how it squelches speech is beyond me.
Can you explain it, factually.
This is a convenient lie.
“I believe quite firmly that the penalty for a crime should not be based on anything except the deed itself...”
You make a good point here. However, if they are going to pass a bill making it a crime to assault a group of people because of who they are, their choice of specific groups leaves a lot to be desired.
They define their very identity by their sin, therefore from their perspective there's no difference. In their minds, "homosexuality" is WHO THEY ARE, not simply something they do, so if you hate homosexuality, you hate them.
.
teemanBr expressed a Christian concept. Love the sinner, not the sin.
God condemns homosexuality. Christ died for homosexuals, that they may repent (turn from homosexuality) and have eternal life with God.
I read the bill too and I have no idea how the author came to the conclusion that this bill has Christians as its target.
This does nothing to squelch speech, unless you consider causing bodily harm as speech. :shrug:
A stealth liberal like Rudy will be even worse than the democrats because many republicans will be hesitant to attack a fellow republican. I seem to recall something Rudy once said suggesting that he was not adverse to the imposion of these kind of hate crime laws, this is just one in a series of things that are on his liberal agenda. I’m just glad that the owner of this forum can see thru Rudy’s liberal nonsense and is trying to derail this disaster waiting to happen should we be so stupid as to elect Rudy.
These guy’s always find a way to attack Rudy. He had nothing to do with this.
And you actually believe an institution that, a few short months ago, would have said it is acceptable to stick a scissors into the base of a live baby's skull and suction out it's brains would have any problem with destroying free speech?
Everyone should tour the holocaust museum in DC. While it is, of course, about the Holocaust, the key issue is understanding that it can happen again. In the museum one starts on the top floor viewing the anti Jew propaganda and the historical events that gave rise to socialist power in Germany. From the top floor start that shows anti Jew newspaper articles and anti Jew children’s books the museum path spirals down, floor by floor, down and down, to the boxcars, the "beds" from the labor camps, the shaved hair, the piles of shoes and personal items. It ends at the bottom with television images, properly hidden by walls too high for youngsters to look over, of the ovens and the mass graves piled with emaciated bodies and the medical experimentation.
Some, in their folly, believe humans are inherently good and kind and that we need only legislate away those who have been taught to hate. Those who know what has been said by Him who created us understand that the human heart is desperately wicked, and if we do not guard against such atrocities they will happen again. This legislation is roughly one floor down.
I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
i was trying to make an attempt at humor, unsuccessfully it appears, that many on this thread declare as hypocracy that the dems say they support the troops but not the mission... like loving the homosexual but hating the homosexuality...
poor delivery, i guess. i hate no one, see good in all.
can tolerate the homosexual but see futile the act of homosexuality...
teeman
If you support ‘thought crime’ laws you are in the wrong party chief. They will be used exclusively to support the liberal pc agenda and nothing else, not to mention their violating our Constitutional protection of free speech.
“[Urgent we block Giuliani and gay agenda!]”
Hell yeah Bump!
Exactly, but it is the deed that matters, not the motivation. The motivation itself didn't do anything. The action, by definition, did. Whatever the intent of the laws, they still have the effect of promoting some groups over others, because the penalty is heavier for crimes against some groups than others. Once again, action over intent.
That's what happened to the people in Europe when they were under NAZI occupation.
I remember an old Hungarian woman, who as a child, had to remain silent for fear of being imprisoned. Her parents never spoke in public for fear the thought/speech police would misunderstand what they said.
The democrats are going full force into Communism. No one seems to be calling them on it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.