There is one thing I would change about it, however. Why oh why do we elect the people we do to Congress.
Like Senator Jim DeMint, whose recent comments to One News Now about hate crimes legislation boggles my mind:
A leading conservative lawmaker says the only way "hate crimes" legislation can be stopped in the U.S. Senate is if senators believe that when they return home there will be some "pain" associated with a vote in favor of the controversial measure.
. . . Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) has pledged to do everything in his power to stop the hate crimes bill. He says his colleagues, especially red-state Democrats, need to be bombarded with at least 1,000 calls or emails from constituents who oppose the legislation.
DeMint argues the hate crimes bill violates free speech and the free practice of religion in America. He suggests that comments by pastors condemning a certain kind of lifestyle or behavior could be classified as hate speech under hate crimes legislation.
"And that's where we're headed, [that's] where we're losing our right to say that things are wrong," says the senator. "And in a society where you can't say things are wrong, you no longer have a moral society -- you no longer have minimum standards and high aspirations."
First of all, if DeMint is considered as a "leading conservative lawmaker," then the Republicans have big problems. Really though, this is nothing new from Jim (I don't think gays should be teachers) DeMint.
But his lies about hate crimes legislation is pitiful. The inaccuracy that adding lgbts to existing hate crimes legislation will lead to words rather than actions being punished has been refuted consistently from places as small as this blog to sites as nationwide as the Washington Post.
DeMint's foolhardy talk about the legislation is like an animal trainer bragging that he will put his head into the mouth of a lion even after he has been repeatedly told that the lion is untrainable.
Part of me is looking forward to DeMint falling on his face should he pursue a course to stop the passage of lgbt-friendly hate crimes legislation.
But I cringe for the image of South Carolina.
In my mind, ALL violent crimes are hate crimes, and should be punished as such. However, I do support the right of churches to teach that homosexuality is a sin. Hate crimes legislation should never get anywhere near encroaching on constitutionally protected free speech.
ReplyDeleteI don't have the right to extol people to go out and beat up on LGBTs, but I DO have the right to teach that it is an immoral behavior.
This is true and adding lgbts to hate crimes legislation will not diminish your right to do such.
ReplyDeleteBut I find it interesting that folks pull the "all violent crimes are hate crimes" card when talking about adding lgbts to hate crimes legislation.
Hate crimes legislation already cover cases of race and religion but no one lodges any complaints against those two categories.
I'd be interested to see the portion of the legislation that "makes it a crime" to say that homosexuality is a sin.
ReplyDeleteOver the weekend, my grandpa showed me a letter, supposedly from Sen. DeMint (with US Senate letterhead) that was passed out at his church, stating that the legislation outlaws saying that homosexuality is a sin.
I imagine it is hyperbole, but that letter is being passed around as "fact".
Senator DeMint is telling a lie. Show your grandfather these two posts, especially the second one -
ReplyDeletehttp://holybulliesandheadlessmonsters.blogspot.com/2009/06/tell-senator-demint-to-stop-lying-about.html
http://holybulliesandheadlessmonsters.blogspot.com/2009/06/sc-gay-groups-organizing-response-to.html