Warning: This post is not for the weak of heart. Some of you may find the contents of these reports to be very disturbing, particularly if you value liberty and have respect for the dignity and choices of individuals. Be aware that freedom lovers may react to these reports with rapid movements and cries of anguish that could damage nearby breakable objects. In the event this occurs, however, do not immediately call a trial lawyer to begin class action proceedings. That will merely result in the payment of large attorney’s fees, and, as is often the case, the "injured party" (you) will get a nice gift certificate. Instead, vent your frustration in political activism for change.
Thought Crimes: I know it sounds a little like it’s out of George Orwell’s book 1984, but increasingly the federal government is creating new crimes based upon one’s thoughts. The latest is H.R. 1592 which passed the House last week by a vote of 237-180. The idea is to create a new and greater crime if you hurt or kill someone because you hate them…but only if you hate them for a particular reason. In 1994, Congress passed and President Clinton signed the first such "hate crime" legislation making any crime due to race, religion, color or national origin subject to extra crimes and extra penalties. What this legislation would do is add "sexual orientation" and gender or "gender identity" as new groups under the law.
Recently, as you know, there was a terrible act of violence on the campus of Virginia Tech University. Since this was a random act of senseless murder, it is deemed not worthy of the additional penalties. However, had one of the victims been a transvestite, that could have made any act of violence against that person a greater crime than against all the others.
Furthermore, "sexual orientation" is not defined in the bill. Former California Attorney General (and now Congressman) Dan Lungren pointed out that in his opinion this means that members of NAMBLA would be a "protected class" under this legislation. For those of you who may not know, NAMBLA is the North American Man/Boy Love Association, which advocates for sex acts between grown men and under age boys. That could be defined as a "sexual orientation" under this bill. There was a separate amendment offered by Republicans that would have added military veterans as a protected class under the bill. Certainly, many Vietnam War veterans recall hatred directed at them during the 60’s and 70’s. But, that amendment was defeated with most of the supporters of the bill voting against it. So, it is OK to hate someone because of their military service to our country, but not to hate someone because they advocate homosexual sex with young children?
That’s what is so nuts about this. If someone commits a violent crime against another, I think they should be punished for the act and their intent to inflict harm, not because of why they decided to harm the person. Does it really make a difference if they hate an individual because of their gender as opposed to their service in the military? No, violence is violence and all people should be prosecuted under the fullest extent of their law regardless of their motivation to commit the crime.
Like many other exercises of this Congress, this is unlikely to become law because it may not pass the Senate and the president has been threatening to veto. But, nonetheless, this is very indicative of where the new Democratic majority wants to take our nation.
One last comment. A pastor from a church in my district ran into me outside my office before this vote. He was one of many pastors lobbying against this bill. He approached me because there is a section in the bill which also makes a criminal out of anyone who might have contributed to the thoughts of the person who committed the thought crime. This has led many pastors to believe that they could personally be charged with a crime for reading the actual words of the Bible (relative to homosexuality, for example) if anyone in their congregation ever committed a violent act against a protected class. Read the bible, go to jail.
The liberals love free speech…….only when it is theirs.