I got this from google news. just typical of bush, equality for all, IF you're conservative, republican, christian and straight. anyhoo, there is legislation passing through that WOULD extend hate crime catagory based on orientation. he is one sorry assed president. WASHINGTON -- The House voted Thursday to expand federal hate crime categories to include violent attacks against gays and people targeted because of gender, acting just hours after the White House threatened a veto. The legislation, passed 237-180, also would make it easier for federal law enforcement to take part in or assist local prosecutions involving bias-motivated attacks. Similar legislation is also moving through the Senate, setting the stage for a possible veto showdown with President Bush. "This is an important vote of conscience, of a statement of what America is, a society that understands that we accept differences," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., the only openly gay man in the House, presided over the chamber as the final vote was taken. The vote came after fierce lobbying from opposite sides by civil rights groups, who have been pushing for years for added protections against hate crimes, and social conservatives, who say the bill threatens the right to express moral opposition to homosexuality and singles out groups of citizens for special protection. The White House said state and local criminal laws already cover the new crimes defined under the bill and there was "no persuasive demonstration of any need to federalize such a potentially large range of violent crime enforcement." It also noted that the bill leaves other classes, such as the elderly, the military and police officers, without similar special status. "Our criminal justice system has been built on the ideal of equal justice for all," said Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, top Republican on the Judiciary Committee. "Under this bill justice will no longer be equal, but depend on the race, sex, sexual orientation, disability or status of the victim." Republicans, in a parliamentary move that would have effectively killed the bill, tried to add seniors and the military to those qualifying for hate crimes protection. It was defeated on a mainly party-line vote. Hate crimes under current federal law apply to acts of violence against individuals on the basis of race, religion, color, or national origin. Federal prosecutors have jurisdiction only if the victim is engaged in a specific federally protected activity such as voting. The House bill would extend the hate crimes category to include sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability and give federal authorities greater leeway to participate in hate crime investigations. It would approve $10 million over the next two years to help local law enforcement officials cover the cost of hate crime prosecutions. Federal investigators could step in if local authorities were unwilling or unable to act. The Human Rights Campaign, the country's largest gay rights group, said this federal intervention could have made a difference in the case of Brandon Teena, the young Nebraska transsexual depicted in the movie "Boys Don't Cry" who was raped after two friends discovered that he was biologically female and then murdered after local police did not arrest those responsible. But Dr. James C. Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, warned that the true intent of the bill was "to muzzle people of faith who dare to express their moral and biblical concerns about homosexuality." If you read the Bible in a certain way, he told his broadcast listeners, "you may be guilty of committing a 'thought crime.'" "It does not impinge on public speech or writing in any way," countered Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., pointing out that the bill reaffirms First Amendment and free speech rights. Conyers said in a statement that state and local authorities will continue to prosecute the overwhelming majority of such cases and the bill requires the attorney general or another high-ranking Justice Department official to approve any federal prosecutions. The legislation restates already-enacted penalties. Those using guns to commit crimes defined under the bill face prison terms of up to 10 years. Crimes involving kidnapping or sexual assault or resulting in death can bring life terms. The Senate bill, sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., is named for Matthew Shepard, the gay college student who died after he was beaten and tied to a fence in Wyoming in 1998. His mother Judy, who heads a foundation in her son's name and has been a leading advocate of the legislation, addressed House Democrats before the vote to ask for their backing. The Judiciary Committee cited FBI figures that there have been more than 113,000 hate crimes since 1991, including 7,163 in 1995. It said that racially motivated bias accounted for 55 percent of those incidents, religious bias for 17 percent, sexual orientation bias for 14 percent and ethnicity bias for 14 percent. ___ The bill is H.R. 1592
I could not believe this quote. The right to express moral opposition to homosexuality? Are you kidding me? That's like the right to express moral opposition to women or blacks! Gays cannot help their orientation, nor should they have to. The main opposition to homosexuality in this country is a fucking work of literature. Such small, small minds in power today. Their time will soon be done though. This is the information age, with grade schoolers growing up with the web, and the internet will take this country in a progressive direction in the long run, I believe it!
Bush is really really really getting on my nerves as of lately. That is all I have to say about this... otherwise I'd get into a long rant which nobody would read. XD
Stupid ****. Those polls were rigged - people didn't actually vote for the asshole. He's just a puppet so there's no point getting angry at him.
It's not just Bush and his minions in power that have the influence over this stuff. There's a vast majority of Americans opposed to gays, and with christian, hardcore republicans so excitedly pushing their "moral" cause, we still have a ways to go before shit like this will pass. It's the main populations we need to focus on, not just those in charge. It's like that old addage, majority wins. such faith brings such hatred......i'm pretty sure jesus didn't kill any gays he knew......i don't really think that was the message he was exactly trying to spread here.....
"Christian, hardcore republicans"? I think you should change that to "Fundementalist "Christian", hardcore republicans" because none of those people are true Christians.
or just one word evangelicals ** shivers ** on a side note: I don't see any difference in attitude between evagelicals and the Taliban both are extreemist in their viewpoints of those that don't believe like they do and both are just as dangerous.
Ughh, I don't get it. I mean, I understand how someone can be "opposed" to gays. But I don't understand how someone can basically state that, "we're not opposed to gays, but we don't want to give them equal protection from hate crimes." I cannot fathom how they can justifiably deny the protection from hate crimes. It is beyond me how they can consider themselves to be morally just.
I'm not gay, but I am more like a gay supporter. If people want or need to be with a person of the same sex, so be it. Fuck the president.
It's an overgeneralization to make this sort of statement about evangelical Christians. For example, Dr. Mel White is an evangelical Christian, and a pastor to boot. He's also a gay man living in a committed relationship, founded Soulforce Inc., was awarded the ACLU's National civil liberties award and continues to struggle for gay rights in the United States. While I understand the frustration many people feel towards Christianity due to the church's checkered past and the actions of individuals such as Pat Robertson or organizations such as Focus On the Family, if the GLBT community is to overcome the hatred of such individuals we must be ever vigilant not to succumb to such hatred ourselves. On that note, I'd be very appreciative if the government would stop trying to get into my bedroom and start taking greater steps to defend my rights as a gay American.
Have to say: I can't really disagree with this. Hate-crime legislation is a bad thing in itself. I'm not in favour of leaving gays out of it if we have to have it, but on the other hand, introducing further hate-crime legislation in the name of equality would make it a lot harder to reverse later. I'm sure plenty of people will disagree on that.
"...who say the bill threatens the right to express moral opposition to homosexuality..." Wowza The bill isnt threatening anyones right to be against homosexuality. Its attempting to abolish murders and violent acts against gays. "...and singles out groups of citizens for special protection." Yet they dont classify laws which protect people based on race as "singling out groups for special protection" o.o Some people are quite contradictory.
Please also know that there are a number of churches and religious organizations that support our fight against discrimination. I am very blessed and privileged to belong to a church that is part of a fairly conservative denomination but embraces the gay rights movement as the kind of peace and justice issue that Christ supported. To truly follow Christ to some means reaching out to those who have been marginalized and disenfranchised and showing God's love to them, just as Jesus did.
I guess they figured they already lost that battle. My guess is we're getting a mixed argument combining people who disagree with homosexuals and people who disagree with hate-crime laws generally.
Absolutes are wrong in any way. They are sins in my opinion. I think anyone who follows a party blindly is a total idiot. Thats why Im moderate.
... which is a right you have in America. Remember the whole freedom of speech/expression thing? It's like the old quote about "I may not like what they have to say, but I will fight to the death to defend their right to say it." Once you start telling people what they can and can't oppose, you become the fascist.
