Thought Control/Hate Crimes Legislation Is Unconstitutional
Big Brother is watching
1984
Bush is expected to veto any Thought Control/Hate Crimes legislation. As well he should.
Yesterday, the Human Rights Campaign video was posted. Alert Reader Suricou Raven wondered that No attempt to counter his (very good) arguments? Or even to deny the accusations made?
Tony Perkins says it best: Thought Control law is wrong because it,
A series of special rights for a particular group. Family Research Council says,
“In a move that is a direct violation of the 14th Amendment which affords equal protection under the law, the House of Representatives passed a “hate crimes” measure that would grant certain victims of crimes allegedly motivated by bias – greater protection than other victims of violence. The measure passed by a vote of 237 to 173.”
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement:
Criminalizing thoughts as well as actions, and creating special categories of victims is unconstitutional. The actions of a majority of the House today undermine the promise of equal protection under the law guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. This legislation creates second-class victims and a legal system of ‘separate and unequal.’
There has been no proof that violent crimes perpetrated against any of the groups listed in the bill have not been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, yet now Congress is asking the federal government to get involved in issues that are, and should remain, local concerns.
And be sure to read The Thought Police by Chuck Colson
What the Hate Crimes Law Would Do
In George Orwell’s classic novel 1984, the government Thought Police constantly spies on citizens to make sure they are not thinking rebellious thoughts. Thought crimes are severely punished by Big Brother.
1984 was intended as a warning against totalitarian governments that enslave and control their citizens. Never have we needed this warning more urgently than now, because America’s Thought Police are knocking on your door.
Last week the House Judiciary Committee, egged on by radical homosexual groups, passed what can only be called a Thought Crimes bill. It’s called the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. But this bill is not about hate. It’s not even about crime. It’s about outlawing peaceful speech — speech that asserts that homosexual behavior is morally wrong.
Read various pressers at the jump.
Thank you (foot)notes:
Bush Expected to Veto ‘Hate Crimes’ Bill, By Randy Hall, CNSNews.com Staff Writer/Editor, May 03, 2007
Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman of the American Family Association reports, This law does not define “sexual orientation,” leaving open the definition of the term. To see all the behaviors covered by the term “sexual orientation,” please click here. Warning! This listing is offensive. Is it ever — this will be a nightmare for human resource management.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 3, 2007 CONTACT: J.P. Duffy or Maria Donovan, (866) FRC-NEWS
FRC: ‘Hate Crimes’ Legislation Is Unconstitutional
May 3, 2007
“Creates a system of ‘separate and unequal'”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a move that is a direct violation of the 14th Amendment which affords equal protection under the law, the House of Representatives passed a “hate crimes” measure that would grant certain victims of crimes allegedly motivated by bias–greater protection than other victims of violence. The measure passed by a vote of 237 to 173.
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement:
“Criminalizing thoughts as well as actions, and creating special categories of victims is unconstitutional. The actions of a majority of the House today undermine the promise of equal protection under the law guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. This legislation creates second-class victims and a legal system of ‘separate and unequal.’
“There has been no proof that violent crimes perpetrated against any of the groups listed in the bill have not been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, yet now Congress is asking the federal government to get involved in issues that are, and should remain, local concerns.
“By far the most disturbing threat we face by this legislation – is the threat it poses to free speech and our religious liberties. In some jurisdictions that have adopted similar laws, ‘hate crimes’ have been defined to include not just physical acts of violence but merely verbal ones as well. When ‘thought crimes’ laws are interpreted this way, they pose a serious threat to freedom of speech and religious liberty.
“I strongly encourage people to let their Senators know to vote against this unconstitutional legislation and encourage President Bush to follow through with the White House statement issued today and veto any such measure should it reach his desk.”
The Family Foundation presser (from Virginia — There is also a Family Foundation in the Commonwealth of Kentucky)
Full Disclosure: Your Business Blogger sat on the Board of Directors for The Family Foundation in Virginia in the 1990’s.
Victoria Cobb, President
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Action Alert: Contact your Congressman on Thought Crimes TODAY!
The United States House of Representatives tomorrow will vote on legislation, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Protection Act (H.R. 1592), which would grant special rights to homosexuals. This law would add sexual orientation to federal hate crimes statutes. The creation of a new thought crime, which gives greater protection under the law based simply on how one chooses to have sex, is clearly unconstitutional in that it violates the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment in the U.S. Constitution.
H.R. 1592 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in March. This bill establishes a new federal offense for “hate crimes” and adds “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as protected classes in the U.S. criminal code. These classes are based solely upon unverifiable self-identification and/or sexual behavior. This bill mandates a separate federal criminal prosecution for state offenses – with the possibility of life imprisonment — for crimes motivated by actual or perceived “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.”
The threat to religious freedom from passing hate crimes legislation is undeniable. There is no question that once this legislation is passed, it will be only a matter of time before the free speech and religious liberty rights of those opposed to homosexuality will be threatened. It must be understood that the goal of those pushing this unconstitutional legislation is not to protect homosexuals from violence; it is to silence Christians!
Once hate crimes laws are expanded, your right to share what some may deem politically incorrect viewpoints or ideas could be criminalized. In addition, once this becomes federal law, it will be nearly impossible to stop such efforts on the state level.
According to the Family Research Council, Increasing punishment for a criminal’s thoughts could quickly be expanded to outlawing the expression of other thoughts that liberal legislators and activist judges, under pressure from homosexual activists, list as “hateful,” including sincere religious convictions and Bible-based moral values such as opposition to homosexual behavior. Similar so-called “hate crimes” laws already have been used to legally prosecute and silence Christians for publicly opposing homosexual behavior in Western Europe, and Canada.
ACTION: Our Congressmen must hear your voice TODAY regarding this important vote in the U.S. House of Representatives! Please email and ask them to oppose any hate crimes amendments or legislation!
I am always pleased to see that the comments here are noticed.
I still disagree with much of the post though. The seperate-and-unequal side I can understand, and to some extent agree with. I certinly would not approve of any law that gave priority investigation to one violent crime over another purely due to the sexual preference of the victim without a very good reason. The only reason I see is that I imagine these ‘hate crimes’ might have a significently higher reoffending rate than other violent crimes.
I do find it interesting though that it seems to be only sexual preference that attracts such criticism. The text of the bill refers, in all places, to “the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of the victim.” Off this extensive list, only sexual orientation/gender identity has any complaints. Were those four words to be removed, there would be almost no objection to granting ‘special status’ to the rest.
The thought-crimes though, I disagree entirely. Having read the bill, I dont see anything in there that comes even close to thoughtcrime. It does not criminalise thinking about violent crime. It does not even criminalise inciting to violent crime based on sexual preference.
Take, as an example, Phelps. A pastor as well-known as himself should need no introduction: He openly advocates violence towards homosexuals, preeches that they should be executed for their ‘crime,’ and blames them for all the problems of the world. Most Christians have disowned him now. And yet even Phelps, who holds events calling for the murder of homosexuals, would not be commiting any offense under this law by doing so. If speech like *that* is still legal then, well, how can you get any more unaccaptable than that?
Lugi
The only changes it makes are in enforcement, and in sentencing guidelines – violent crimes may be punished more strictly if the court finds the motivation to be any of those mentioned in the above-given list, but the violent crime itsself must still be committed. No new crimes are created. How can it be called a thought-crime law if no thought or speech is punished, unless said thought actually results in a violent crime?