“Targets Clergy”: Dems Sneak Hate Crime Protection Against Gays Into Defense Bill
Fox News:
Senate Democrats used a must-pass military spending bill to push through a controversial measure Thursday extending hate-crime protection to gays.
The bill, known as the Matthew Shepard Act, named for the gay Wyoming college student murdered 11 years ago, was opposed by conservatives because of language they said targets clergy and others who oppose homosexuality on religious grounds and who might express those beliefs publicly.
“The inclusion of the controversial language of the hate crimes legislation, which is unrelated to our national defense, is deeply troubling,” said Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.
Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., said the bill was a “dangerous step” toward thought crimes. He asked whether the bill would “serve as a warning to people not to speak out too loudly about their religious views.”
But Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said “nothing in this legislation diminishes an American’s freedom of religion, freedom of speech or press or the freedom to assemble. Let me be clear. The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act targets acts, not speech.”
To assure its passage after years of frustrated efforts, Democratic supporters attached the measure to a must-pass $680 billion defense policy bill the Senate approved 68-29. The House passed the defense bill earlier this month.
Hate crimes law enacted after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1968 centered on crimes based on race, color, religion or national origin.
The expansion has long been sought by civil rights and gay rights groups. Conservatives have opposed it, arguing that it creates a special class of victims.
Some 45 states have hate crimes statutes, and the bill would not change current practices where hate crimes are generally investigated and prosecuted by state and local officials.
But it does broaden the narrow range of actions — such as attending school or voting — that can trigger federal involvement and allows the federal government to step in if the Justice Department certifies that a state is unwilling or unable to follow through on an alleged hate crime.
The measure also provides federal grants to help state and local governments prosecute hate crimes and funds programs to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles.
“As we learned in the civil rights era, sometimes communities need assistance and resources from the federal government when they have to confront the most emotional and dangerous kinds of crimes,” said Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo.
The bill also creates a federal crime to penalize attacks against U.S. service members on account of their service.
Attorney General Eric Holder said nearly 80,000 hate crime incidents have been reported to the FBI since he first testified before Congress in support of a hate crimes bill 11 years ago. “It has been one of my highest personal priorities to ensure that this legislation finally becomes law,” he said.
The FBI says more than half of reported hate crimes are motivated by racial bias. Next most frequent are crimes based on religious bias, at around 18 percent, and sexual orientation, at 16 percent.
Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council, said the measure was “part of a radical social agenda that could ultimately silence Christians and use the force of government to marginalize anyone whose faith is at odds with homosexuality.”
 |
|
Seems to me the ‘hate’ is the other way around and always has been. How is it possible that black’s hatred toward whites, Muslim hatred against anything non-Muslim, Obama’s (and anyone connected with him) hatred of America, and liberal’s hatred of conservatives gets a free pass and continues to burn unabated? All of these people, who are minorities in this country, are going to rue the day they tried running roughshod over the rest of us. It was explained to me that in politics the liberal-conservative bent of America is like a pendulum that would swing back toward the conservative side after what we’ve experienced over the past couple of years. With Obama, if he has anything to do with it, conservatives will be outlawed. Michael Savage wrote of this ’swing’ in one of his books and feared we would go ‘extreme’ right. It took me a while to understand that fear, but I am afraid Mr. Savage that it can only go that way. The people are tired of being pushed around and when most folks, who are only concerned with raising their families properly and trying to live and prosper on the American dream, but have it all taken away from them with this larceny being perpetrated on them will, well … have no choice but to retaliate in the most brutal of fashion. To believe in some bit of libertarianism, to live and let live, is one thing, but out-and-out liberalism on a march toward totalitarianism needs to be destroyed once and for all … forever.
When will this ever end????? When can we get rid of these a-holes Dems???/ Where are our Generals to stop this administration from carrying a concerted war to snuff this government??/ When is the secret service going to introspectively come to the conclusion that they are protecting an enemy of the US???? Would they be accountable in some future trial for aiding and providing comfort to the enemy?Let’s ponder that…………..When is my Freedom to be hated by liberals will also be part of this freaking, dumb-ass bill??????? I loath Democrats, they are nothing but a socialist arm of the Communist party.
I have been railing against this bill for quite a while, and now its passed. I strongly urgue you to find out if any of your “representatives” voted for this,drop them a nastygram, and actively campaign against them when the time comes. This bill protects sexual deviants of every imaginable variation, from necrophillia to pedophillia. Dont take my word for it…look it up
Booby E, El Gonzo, and cold soldier, we all agree…we are at the end of the road. The proverbial parting of the ways has come…I will never allow the government to control what I think, what I say, or what I preach from the pulpit of our Church.
When this bill is signed by Obama, and he will sign it with all of the pomp and circumstance that he can muster, I will walk to the pulpit at the very next Sunday morning service and preach against sodomy and all of the perversion that goes with it. Our puritan forefathers founded this nation on the quest for freedom of religion from the British Crown. I shall pursue it to my death! Come what may!
Read my book “Why Homosexual Marriage is Wrong: A Biblical Dissertation on the Same Sex Marriage Debate in America” at Xulonpress.com You will see that it is right to try to help the person, but also right to despise their sin.
If there is a bridge that is out,(fallen) over a deep ravine in the middle of the night and there is no one to warn the completely unaware runners heading swiftly towards it to stop, they will certainly all perish. This bill will cause the person standing there by the bridge to be mute and will certainly sentence these people to death. It is written, “hell enlarges itself daily.”
One more kick in the teeth for freedom.While the great majority of us still hold the values and beliefs of our fathers and for-fathers,the people educating our children and writing our laws have spun off into some bizzaro world and are doing everything in their power to destroy what is left of this great nation.If they have their way Carl Marx will be the new George Washington.
All we can do is fight this evil at every turn.If we fail to do this,we are doomed as a free nation..
I agree with the previous statements. The libs can play the word game about “acts” versus thoughts, but ultimately it will include thoughts. Hateful thoughts must preced the deed, so the the thoughts must be eliminated. 1984 is alive and well, and it is gaining ground.
The passage of this bill is a prime example of the machinations that the congress will go through to get a bill passed. The average American would not advocate the passage of this bill.
SET A DATE AND ACT……..WE KNOW WE WILL TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Canada used to follow America’s lead. That is now reversed.
http://ezralevant.com/
What does this mean? What I think it does???
“The bill also creates a federal crime to penalize attacks against U.S. service members on account of their service.”
If someone attacks a US Service member, that attacker cannot be penalized????
No….but he’ll have the shit beat out of him by the attackee!
The Day 2 Men or 2 Women can CONCIEVE a child WITHOUT any outside Help…
THAT will be the DAY my mind is changed on Homosexual behavior. Until then… LEAVE “MY” RIGHTS ALONE!!!