Hate Crimes Bill
I've been seeing news reports on the recent House Bill HR1592 that adds sexual orientation to the list of groups that are subject to "hate" crimes. I want to say right up front that I am not a proponent of hate crime legislation. To me, crime is crime is crime and should be dealt with the same way no matter what group is involved. To do otherwise is in itself criminal.
What concerns me about what I have been reading is the idea that the addition of sexual orientation as a hate crime would somehow limit the right of free speech for those who do not approve of the gay lifestyle. Take this quote for example:
"This unconstitutional bill would effectively give the federal government authority to punish American citizens for 'thought crimes' — a concept that has Big Brother written all over it. There are already state and local laws on the books that punish violent crime against any and all Americans," said Boehner, R-Ohio.
And from the religious right, this comment:
But Dr. James C. Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, warned that the true intent of the bill was "to muzzle people of faith who dare to express their moral and biblical concerns about homosexuality." If you read the Bible in a certain way, he told his broadcast listeners, "you may be guilty of committing a 'thought crime."'
If this were the case, I would be wholeheartedly opposed to it, and so I decided to bypass the "news" reports of the bill and go right to the actual bill itself so I could find out what it really said. Here is an example of what the bill actually says:
(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--
The whole bill can be read by linking onto the Library of Congress site http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.+1592:
Maybe I'm missing something but would someone show me where in this bill it implies anything about "thought crimes" or the inability to exercise free speech? This is not a rhetorical question...I really want to know. If it does, then I agree that its wrong and should be vetoed. If it doesn't, then why is it being presented that way by the conservatives and religious right?
If crime is a crime is a crime, then truth is the truth is the truth. Right?
What concerns me about what I have been reading is the idea that the addition of sexual orientation as a hate crime would somehow limit the right of free speech for those who do not approve of the gay lifestyle. Take this quote for example:
"This unconstitutional bill would effectively give the federal government authority to punish American citizens for 'thought crimes' — a concept that has Big Brother written all over it. There are already state and local laws on the books that punish violent crime against any and all Americans," said Boehner, R-Ohio.
And from the religious right, this comment:
But Dr. James C. Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, warned that the true intent of the bill was "to muzzle people of faith who dare to express their moral and biblical concerns about homosexuality." If you read the Bible in a certain way, he told his broadcast listeners, "you may be guilty of committing a 'thought crime."'
If this were the case, I would be wholeheartedly opposed to it, and so I decided to bypass the "news" reports of the bill and go right to the actual bill itself so I could find out what it really said. Here is an example of what the bill actually says:
(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--
The whole bill can be read by linking onto the Library of Congress site http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.+1592:
Maybe I'm missing something but would someone show me where in this bill it implies anything about "thought crimes" or the inability to exercise free speech? This is not a rhetorical question...I really want to know. If it does, then I agree that its wrong and should be vetoed. If it doesn't, then why is it being presented that way by the conservatives and religious right?
If crime is a crime is a crime, then truth is the truth is the truth. Right?
posted by Lori | 9:47 AM
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