Federal Hate Crime Bill

The week of May 14th I will be in Washington lobbying for the federal hate crimes and Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) bills. The Hater Crime bill has passed the House (237-180) and is expected to pass in the Senate. Now all we have to do is get the President to sign it, but he threatened to veto it.

White House threatens to veto hate-crimes bill

“The White House says there is no need for the expanded bill because state and local laws already cover the crimes it addresses, and there is no need for federal enforcement.”

Well Mr. President, there are currently only nineteen states that band discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and only twelve states that band discrimination on the basis of gender identity. I would say that there is a need a real to pass this law.

And the clergy are not above lying about the bill also.

"We believe that this legislation will criminalize our freedom of speech and our ability to preach the gospel," said Bishop Harry Jackson of Hope Christian Church in Lanham, Maryland.

However, the bill contains the following language….

"Nothing in this Act, or the amendments made by this Act, shall be construed to prohibit any expressive conduct protected from legal prohibition by, or any activities protected by the free speech or free exercise clauses of, the First Amendment to the Constitution," the bill says.

I am not a lawyer but I think I can understand the meaning of that section of the bill. So I just do not know who a bishop can out and out lie.

Another argument that the opposition is using is…

Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Florida, said it is unfair to single out specific groups for protection under the law.

"What it does is to say that the dignity, the property, the life of one person gets more protection than another American. That's just wrong," he said.

The Honorable Feeney is wrong; the bill does not give any group more protect than another group. I am not a lawyer but I believe that in a fight if one person kills another and did not mean to kill him, we call that Manslaughter. But if that person goes home gets a gun and then kill the other person we call that first degree murder or premeditative murder. What is the difference? Intent. If a person kills another person because he is Gay, it is a Hate Crime because of intent. And Representative Feeney you are also covered by the bill because if anyone ever mistaken you for a homosexual and attacks you, than that would be a hate crime.

Stop the Hate! Stop the Bigotry!