Hate Crimes Ploy Undermines Free Speech
by PubliusOver at Examiner, Byron York asks the fairly obvious question:
What does a hate crimes bill have to do with money for U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq?
Nothing, except that the National Defense Authorization Act, which will win final passage in Congress and be sent to the president’s desk this week, also contains the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which Democrats placed inside the defense measure over Republican objections.
The crime bill — which would broaden the protected classes for hate crimes to include sexual orientation and “gender identity,” which the bill defines as a victim’s “actual or perceived gender-related characteristics” — passed the House earlier this year as a stand-alone measure. But it’s never had the votes to succeed by itself in the Senate. So over the summer Democrats, with the power of their 60-vote majority, attached it to the defense bill.
Republicans argued that the two measures had nothing to do with each other. Beyond that, GOP lawmakers feared the new bill could infringe on First Amendment rights in the name of preventing broadly defined hate crimes. The bill’s critics, including many civil libertarians, argued that the hate crimes provision could chill freedom of speech by empowering federal authorities to accuse people of inciting hate crimes, even if the speech in question was not specifically related to a crime.
Read the whole thing here.
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61 Comments
If you just got murdered would you really care if somebody said something really ugly about your skin color? Crime is crime, we need to roll back the phony hate crime laws that our government uses to divide us into nice neat groups of disadvantaged victims.
If you just got murdered would you really care if somebody said something really ugly about your skin color? Or your faith or your sex practices? Crime is crime, we need to roll back the phony hate crime laws that our government uses to divide us into nice neat groups of disadvantaged victims.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Big Government. Big Government said: Hate Crimes Ploy Undermines Free Speech: Over at Examiner, Byron York asks the fairly obvious question: What do.. http://bit.ly/xtO4Q [...]
America will become a socialist nation without ever knowing how it happened http://tinyurl.com/np96lb
need to get these dem's out of office before we loose all our rights. I think they wanted that in the bill so they could stop people from trying to attack them the dems in blogs and try and get them out of office. they are running scared and looking for anything to help them and their followers.
Precisely!
That is the EXACT reason they have snuck that in the Bill. To try to regulate people like you, like me. Anyone who questions them, or voices an opinion, will be marked as a subversive, and summarily dealt with.
But Democrats feel better about it. Isn't that enough?
I know you are being funny… But I gotta say it: I choose to live and die without the shackles of victimhood
Don't ask don't tell willnot be needed after this -
I have been reading posts from the liberal blogs on this issue and others. It really concerns me that they cannot see their rights being taken away one at a time. They have blinders on. One day they will wake up and it will be too late.
2010, 2012 cannot come fast enough for me. I hope someone is making a list of all these bills that will need to be changed back when the Republicans get back in power.
This is how the Democrats hate free speech. They wanted to outlaw free speech so there's no criticism against them in any shape or form.
I think he was being sarcastic.
Thanks Mom. Hope you kid(s) are doing well.
Let's say I get into a fight at a bar over sports. I beat the guy up (must be a Dallas Cowboys fan) and it turns out he's gay or thinks he's a woman. Will I be charged with not only assault, but also with a hate crime even if the reason I beat him up had nothing to do with his gayness or "perceived sexual identity"??
Can you say, "Thought Police"?
Wherever socialism takes root free speech will be dismantled. An interesting speech by the former Soviet political dissident Vladimir Bukovsky adddresses the insidiousness of this in the EU with their hate crime codes and tribunals in the second part of three segments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ4MMU0li_I&fe...
This segment is out of context, you can view part 1 and 3 at the site.
Here's a parody pointing out the flaws in the selective "hate crimes" concept. Note also the clip of the markup of the bill at the end: Perpetrators of Vicious Hateful Beating of Iraq War Veteran Have Sentences Reduced After Shocking Courtroom Revelation http://optoons.blogspot.com/2009/05/perpetrators-...
Free Speech?
Agenda 21…………
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/1571...
A lengthy article, but exceptional.
Nancy Pelosi can be charged then, for calling us Nazi's, un-American etc If this bill is pushed through. I want to see her in a orange jumpsuit:)
Deceitful underhanded practices – thieves!!! Their should be a law that each bill has to stand on its own. Somebody call 911 !!
Exactly, that's the whole point. It's what "narcissism" is all about.
Exactly, that's the whole point. It's what "narcissism" is all about – the refusal to allow dissenting opinion.
Thanks for asking. My son is fine and I pray he stays that way and lives a long happy life. We're expecting him home for couple weeks at Christmas.
911!
From an article on Agenda 21:
"The death knell for freedom has been tolling for some time, and only now are people starting to hear it. It started tolling faintly, decades back, and has slowly progressed in volume, until today its tolling is impossible to ignore.The United States of America that “shining city on a hill” had a good run of it, and made a gallant effort at establishing liberty for all. But as the old saw would have it, all good things must come to an end. Liberty, after all, is an aberration in mankind’s history a light that has flared here and there over the centuries, only to dissolve back into the darkness. America is barreling towards becoming a bit player on the world’s stage, and its vaunted middle class once the envy of the world is on the verge of being eliminated. For the good of the planet, for the good of Gaia. for the good of the collective. Freedom is being replaced by servitude, capitalism by socialism, and property rights by “sustainable development.”
It's no surprise. They do this all the time. All they have to do is find a bill that has wide support then tie one of their agenda items to it. When the bill fails to pass they simply accuse the bills opponents of "playing politics". This is a major problem with our government. The welfare and will of the citizens takes a back seat to their agenda. Americans overwhelmingly agree that illegal immigrants should not be receiving benefits, but this hasn't stopped people like Pelosi from pushing for them despite the outcry of her own constituents. Meanwhile these leaders have the home field advantage in every election because they spend their entire terms horse trading favors for campaign donations. Were it up to the people term limits would have been instated long ago but our own "representatives" make sure no such bills ever see the light of day. The only way we can change this is if we FIGHT to get them placed on a ballot. Only then would these "leaders" be forced to do the peoples bidding.
By the time "those people" are through, the new policy will be: "Do ask, and do tell, on everyone….."
The age of Big Brother has arrived.
I want to see her in a straight jacket, where she really belongs! No kidding.
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I have one question for our government when is a crime against any person (as opposed to property) not a hate crime. Is it better to be dead because the guy who shot you was the same color (sexual orientation, religion, ethnic background, you name it), frankly dead is dead, and the guy doing the killing does not love you much.
All the new stuff that is being forced on us is just power grab and control. Yep it is about changing everything American.
Forget about free speech for a moment, (I'm sure they'd love that) and talk about equal protection under the law. The term "all men are created equal" was especially meant to apply to the law. This is blasphemous to the constitution to provide more "protection under the law" to blacks, hispanics, and now gays, than whites. If "equality" is the goal of civil rights leaders and the homosexual lobby, how does one justify this? One who is intellectually honest with one's self cannot. Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly apparent that "equality" is not the goal. The goal is favortism. This is the same reason that black leaders are so resistant to changes in affirmitive action laws. How far will this go? I hate to sound cynical here, but will this be allowed to progress to the point where whites are relegated to a persecuted minority? The excuse being that it's payback for slavery? At what point will the insatiable appetite for power be satisfied?
I'll tell you, never. It is human nature. The nation must be vigilant to never allow certain groups to obtain favor, prosperity, or advancement based on the color of one's skin or who one sleeps with.
Who the h**l cares what people do in their bedroom, I don't want to tell you when I swing from the chandelier and I don't want to hear about the sexual orientation of my coworkers, don't ask me, I won't tell, but I don't ask either. Don't ask don't tell is the only acceptable solution. Keep sexual behavior where it belongs (private), and for crying out loud keep the d**m government off it.
Many of my friends are liberals, and while I love their generosity, and a lot of things about them, I am at a loss when politics are involved because I cannot figure out how intelligent people like that can be so blind. They believe the crap they are telling and they do not see what is going on.
Yup.
"He only ran into my car because I'm not white!"
Hate crime!
Democrats violate the very purpose of having a congress and a constitution on a daily basis. When will enough be enough and they are removed from office by violent force? It’s coming and will be a bloody battle with very few democrat politicians surviving. Leave no survivors or offspring.
You got it, that is what you get for not loving a cowboys fan. LOL
If only everyone could see clearly with no partisan politics and no rhetoric and just use their common sense. (yes, republicans can do this too) I think a lot of liberals just argue for "their side" without actually taking a real look at what is actually happening.
I gave you a plus 1 on the idea that each bill should be on its own and no pork. I wish I could give you more points. We should insist on that. One bill, one issue, pay for it and don't add anything else. You want a bridge get the financing but not on the bill, if the bridge is needed and it makes sense that we pay for it, it will happen.
I'm not even sure beating up a cowboys fan is a crime…..
The HATE this marxist administration has for our Constitution and the people of this country is the biggest CRIME of all. They're the ones that need to be prosecuted.
We, as conservative, must keep a list… a list of legislation that the dems have passed. We then need to insist that when we regain control of the government that an aggressive effort must be made to repeal these things. Yes, a good federal court will hopefully find these laws unconstitutional, we must insist that our new GOP proactively target these things and overturn them.
Same goes for all the problematic leftard things that have passed when the dems are in control and then we're stuck with them because the GOP just dithers when they're in control…. ( it seems ).
So I say, get rid of this piece, and the disabilities act, the Dept of Educ, the NEA, and of course the EPA… no more tailpipe or mpg mandates, no more crazy restrictions on powerplants, etc. Return this country to the States and the people. We must keep pounding the table for a smaller and weaker Federal Government.
We, as conservatives, must keep a list… a list of legislation that the dems have passed. We then need to insist that when we regain control of the government that an aggressive effort must be made to repeal these things. Yes, a good federal court will hopefully find these laws unconstitutional, we must insist that our new GOP proactively target these things and overturn them.
Same goes for all the problematic leftard things that have passed when the dems are in control and then we're stuck with them because the GOP just dithers when they're in control…. ( it seems ).
So I say, get rid of this piece, and the disabilities act, the Dept of Educ, the NEA, and of course the EPA… no more tailpipe or mpg mandates, no more crazy restrictions on powerplants, etc. Return this country to the States and the people. We must keep pounding the table for a smaller and weaker Federal Government.
You get acquitted if I'm on the jury.
Too bad Orwell is not required reading anymore.
You are a great American…..
When I first heard the asinine term "hate crime" I immediately asked myself "what's a love crime?"
This is just another sleazy attempt for liberals to shift more power to their side in their quest for ultimate control. Mark my words, we will see law suits against the clergy or anyone who disagrees with the anti-straight agenda. This will be twisted and used by liberal activist judges to set precedent while, again, grabbing more power than the Constitution allows.
In the end, the only true crimes of hate are the stifling and theft of our God given rights guaranteed by the first amendment.
For liberal regressives? Never.
Stealth.
"Dems undermine free speech in hate crimes ploy."
"Actually, we will have moved closer to that day when lawmakers use stealthy, behind-closed-doors maneuvers to chip away at fundamental constitutional rights. Ask Republicans how it happened, and they say simply, "Elections have consequences." They're right."
Like thieves in the night, the Obama Administration moves across the land, like a great blight, changing the fabric of everything American……….
Both parties have done this for years and it's time for the practice to stop. The same goes for hidden earmarks buried deep within unrelated bills.
I HATE EVERY BODY EQUALLY! ………………………..;>0
The statue with the scales of justice is wearing a blindfold…..why?….because justice is blind. Which is the way it SHOULD be.
Everyone under the law is treated equally and rightfully so, it is the foundation of our system.
So called “hate crimes” legislation undermines that system. It is simply un-American.
Look behind the blindfold. The statue is not Lady Liberty. It is Aunt Jemimah, and she be pissed. Reparations time folks; buckle your seatbets, it's gonna be a rough three more years.
If I call Obama a left wing, socialist, communist, Hugo Chavez-lovin’, Ahmadenijad-huggin’, let-the-government-run-everything nit wit……..could I be charged with a hate crime?
I’M GULAG BOUND FOLKS!
Uh oh, I think my avatar will be interpreted as a "hate crime" now.
Hmmm, sneak in "hate crimes" legislation and do away with "don't ask, don't tell"….
Will the left protect military personnel who will inevitably be subjected to sexual harassment from members of the same sex or will they insist they be sent for behavioral and thought rehabilitation?
Yep.
I think I will reread 1984….seems like a good time to do that
sadly I think El Rushbo is right….Liberalism is a mental disorder, these Libs will never wake up.
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