Posted on 04/30/2009 4:02:30 AM PDT by Man50D
Members of the U.S. House today approved a plan to create a federal "hate crimes" plan that will provide special protections to homosexuals and others with alternative sexual choices, but leave Christian ministers and pastors open to prosecution should their teachings be linked to any subsequent offense, by anyone, against a "gay."
The vote was 249-175, and came despite intense Republican opposition to the creation of the privileged class.
Bishop Harry Jackson Jr. of the High Impact Leadership Coalition also condemned the action, offering a warning about the future of the United States.
(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...
The only ones that will profit from what surely will ensue are our enemies.
When the vast, unwashed electorate finally come to their senses as these 'programs' unfold and the consequences are known our nation will see some terrible destructive times.
All this was absolutely unnecessary and the fault can be laid at the doorstep for what passes as a Republican Party. We can thank them for puking up a Juan McLame.
God save America.
“
America is in for some interesting times.
The only ones that will profit from what surely will ensue are our enemies.
When the vast, unwashed electorate finally come to their senses as these ‘programs’ unfold and the consequences are known our nation will see some terrible destructive times.
All this was absolutely unnecessary and the fault can be laid at the doorstep for what passes as a Republican Party. We can thank them for puking up a Juan McLame.
God save America.”
You are so right, and that’s sad, very sad for our country.
Another thread on loss of free speech rights if you are straight. Especially if you are a straight Christian male minister!
Here ya go. There are a coupla threads about this bill, also.
...............
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-1913
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2009-223
...........................
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009.
SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF HATE CRIME.
In this Act
(1) the term crime of violence has the meaning given that term in section 16, title 18, United States Code;
(2) the term hate crime has the meaning given such term in section 280003(a) of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (28 U.S.C. 994 note); and
(3) the term local means a county, city, town, township, parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a State.
(1) mentions Title 18, section 16, which says:
..........................
§ 16. Crime of violence defined
How Current is This?
The term crime of violence means
(a) an offense that has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person or property of another, or
(b) any other offense that is a felony and that, by its nature, involves a substantial risk that physical force against the person or property of another may be used in the course of committing the offense.
.........................
The definition of hate crime was referenced by inclusion of a US Code paragraph, which does not itself define hate crime, but references it somewhere else...
Eventually I found this:
SEC. 280003. DIRECTION TO UNITED STATES SENTENCING COMMISSION REGARDING SENTENCING ENHANCEMENTS FOR HATE CRIMES.
(a) DEFINITION- In this section, `hate crime means a crime in which the defendant intentionally selects a victim, or in the case of a property crime, the property that is the object of the crime, because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of any person.
(b) SENTENCING ENHANCEMENT- Pursuant to section 994 of title 28, United States Code, the United States Sentencing Commission shall promulgate guidelines or amend existing guidelines to provide sentencing enhancements of not less than 3 offense levels for offenses that the finder of fact at trial determines beyond a reasonable doubt are hate crimes. In carrying out this section, the United States Sentencing Commission shall ensure that there is reasonable consistency with other guidelines, avoid duplicative punishments for substantially the same offense, and take into account any mitigating circumstances that might justify exceptions.
..........
(2) OFFENSES INVOLVING ACTUAL OR PERCEIVED RELIGION, NATIONAL ORIGIN, GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, OR DISABILITY-
(A) IN GENERAL- Whoever, whether or not acting under color of law, in any circumstance described in subparagraph (B), willfully causes bodily injury to any person or, through the use of fire, a firearm, or an explosive or incendiary device, attempts to cause bodily injury to any person, because of the actual or perceived religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of any person
(i) shall be imprisoned not more than 10 years, fined in accordance with this title, or both; and
(ii) shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life, fined in accordance with this title, or both, if
(I) death results from the offense; or
(II) the offense includes kidnaping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill.
Unfortunately, many, perhaps most, of the people who attended TEA Parties do not have the courage or the perseverance for what comes next.
The TEA Parties of 2009 were only symbolic, and they lacked the civil disobedience of the 1773 Boston Tea Party. The act in 1773 so angered Parliament with its insolence (as Parliament saw it) that a couple or three months later, the British government really started to lay on the leather, so to speak, with the Intolerable Acts.
Unfortunately, governments that are determined to control the populace will not back down for symbolic acts. IMO, the TEA Parties have no future from this time forward, unless the people who attended them decide en mass to give up hope of changing things, and just keep up the symbolic but ineffective meetings.
Note that I am not calling for civil disobedience, only looking at history and realizing that only direct challenges to government usurpation of power will move the ball forward.
I mean, I’m just an anonymous coward with a keyboard on the Internet. I don’t want to cause any trouble, man.
“As long as the New Deal interpretaion of the Commerce Clause stands, they can do pretty much anything they want. Their power to regulate commerct will trump your rights to free exercise of religion, free speech and association, the keeping and bearing of arms, and eventually all the rest if they are not stopped.”
I will not be silenced. I will not let them take my rights away. They will be stopped, one way or another.
That is not a threat; it is a promise.
It would appear to be unfolding now wouldn’t it?
Anyone who sponsors or votes for something so flagrantly unConstitutional should be treated as an enemy of the Constitution and of the US.
Were the men and women of 1776 better or stronger than those of today?
I suspect that we shall soon see.
Quite correct.
Pray for this country.
Don't you mean the evil OF the courts?
Thanks for linking that.
I will read through and contact my Rep
Slowly, ever so slowly, they are building our new platform. They are giving us SOLID planks for the construction of a new Party? Movement? or whatever. As these things happen, the resolve (and quiet outrage) grows in strength and we actually have tangible targets of political opportunity. (We certainly wouldn’t want to waste an opportunity). In some strange ways, they are doing the job for us. We couldn’t make this stuff up, its real, and it will be REAL to oppose.
Apparently there are many in the House who have not even READ The Constitution.
Hopefully the Senate won’t pass this bill, which in and of itself, is a Hate Crime.
“Anyone who sponsors or votes for something so flagrantly unConstitutional should be treated as an enemy of the Constitution and of the US.”
We need to require all congressmen up for re-election to promise to co-sponsor HB-450 “The Enumerated Powers Act”
that has been proposed every year since about 1994. It has died in committee every year. It requires all new legislation to cite the Constitutional authority for its passage specifically. With enough co-sponsors the bill would have to come up for vote.
This would be a great project for the next TEA PARTY!
That too!
LLS
LLS
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.