Hate crime bill passed

[LORD ZERO]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=afzjvkQsZU0o



By Brian Faler
Oct. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Congress gave final approval and sent to President Barack Obama legislation to add gays to the list of groups covered by U.S. hate-crime laws.
The Senate voted 68 to 29 yesterday in favor of the plan as part of a defense policy measure. The House approved the bill earlier this month. Democrats, who had been pushing the expansion for a decade, hailed the legislation.
“Hate crimes affect not just the victim -- they victimize the entire community,” said Senator Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat. “We cannot allow our communities to be terrorized by hatred and violence.”
Republicans criticized the provision as unnecessary, saying violent crimes are illegal regardless of the offenders’ motivations.
“Hate crimes are wrong and that’s why they are already illegal,” said Senator Jim DeMint, a South Carolina Republican. “There’s no such thing as a criminal thought -- only criminal acts. Once we endorse the concept of a thought crime, where will we draw the line?”
Attorney General Eric Holder called the measure “a milestone in helping protect Americans from the most heinous bias-motivated violence.” He said “it has been one of my highest personal priorities to ensure that this legislation finally becomes law and I applaud the Senate for joining the House in its vote.”
Race, Religion
The 1968 law, passed in the aftermath of the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., protects people attacked because of their race, religion or national origin. There were 7,624 hate-crime incidents in 2007, almost 17 percent of which were based on sexual orientation, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The measure approved yesterday would add legal protection for those attacked because of their sexual orientation, gender or gender identity. It would give the U.S. Justice Department expanded authority to prosecute such crimes when local authorities don’t act.
The provision is named after Matthew Shepard, a Wyoming college student killed in 1998 because he was gay, and James Byrd Jr., a black man dragged to his death that year behind a pickup truck.
The legislation authorizes the U.S. attorney general to provide grants to local police departments to pursue hate crimes. It also establishes a seven-year deadline to file charges in cases not involving death.
Human Rights Campaign
Joe Solmonese, president of the Washington-based Human Rights Campaign, which lobbies for gay rights, called the measure “our nation’s first major piece of civil rights legislation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people,” adding, “too many in our community have been devastated by hate violence.”
Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, a Washington group that promotes marriage and family, called on Obama to “veto this legislation which violates the principle of equal justice under the law and also infringes on the free-speech rights of the American people.”
The bill is H.R. 2647.

[PALEHORSE]

come on man we both knew this was going to get passed as soon as it was proposed. it fits the "agenda" perfectly

[LORD ZERO]

indeed, its all a matter of *when* w/ these snakes

[check two]

What are your problems with this?

[whitey]

^ dude dont you know its all part of the Illuminati new world order plan for da gays to rule the world.

[check two]

That's right, I forgot about the Gay World Order. lol

[PALEHORSE]

ever here of a gentlemans agreement?

thats gender specific so politically incorrect

are you the black sheep of your family? you better not say it. you might go to jail

are you a fireman or mail man? ah be careful! they are firefighters and mail carriers.
this is going to be the trend
gotta love that 1st ammendment we are so lucky to have