A BROKEN LIMB

'Hate crimes' bill: Prescription for tyranny      6/3/2004
By Robert Knight

Hatch-Smith version seeks to make Kennedy bill more passable

Click icon to stream,
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to save to desktopLike a bad penny, the proposed federal "hate crimes" law just keeps coming back.

It doesn't matter that there is no evidence that crimes against homosexuals are prosecuted any less vigorously than crimes against other victims. It doesn't matter that actual crimes against homosexuals have declined in recent years.

Liberal GOP Sens. Orrin Hatch, Utah, and Gordon Smith, Ore., are planning to bring up a new version of the Kennedy-Smith federal "hate crimes" law, which has been filed as an amendment to the defense authorization bill.

Proponents of the Hatch-Smith bill insist that their version seeks to empower state officials to better handle "hate crimes" and that it mitigates the more radical aspects of the Kennedy-Smith bill. But it still endorses the concept of "hate crimes," greatly expands federal power and will lead inevitably to "thought crimes."

Let's agree that we're all against hate and abuse of anybody. Nobody in America should live in fear. That is what the criminal law is for, and there is no evidence that it is not working. But "hate crime" laws are fraught with possibilities for abuse.

Such laws create a multi-tiered system of justice, in which some crime victims' cases are taken more seriously than others, thus violating the constitutional guarantee of equal protection.

Seeking federal dollars, police and prosecutors will define more and more cases as "hate crimes." Expect such crimes to soar. After California enacted a "hate crimes" law, incidents went from 75 to 2,052 in four years.

In a media- and dollar-driven situation, your grandmother's mugging will not receive as much attention as the "hate crime" committed against a homosexual. Both victims deserve the full protection of the law, but the one that snags the headlines will get more of it.

All citizens who treasure freedom and the fundamental protections afforded by our legal system should see the latest drive for a federal "hate crimes" law for what it is: a sop to the homosexual lobby, fresh from its victory in Massachusetts, where weddings no longer require a bride.

But the real danger of "hate crime" laws is that they criminalize thoughts and beliefs. The law should concern itself only with actions. Prosecutors must prove intent, but examining underlying beliefs goes far beyond that.

Let's go to the bottom line: The federal "hate crimes" bill lays the groundwork for persecution of Christians in this country.

Homosexual activists have redefined any opposition to homosexuality as "hate speech." Laws already criminalize speech that incites violence. It's easy to imagine a scenario in which any incident involving a homosexual can be blamed on people who have publicly opposed homosexual activism.

Imagine what the activists could have done with a "hate crimes" law in 1998, when Matthew Shepard was beaten to death by two bar-hopping thugs in Wyoming. Everybody from Katie Couric to the San Francisco city supervisors blamed the killing on a "climate of hate" fomented by conservative Christians. Their evidence was newspaper ads from the "Truth in Love" campaign, in which former homosexuals told their stories of hope and redemption. Pure hate, according to the liberal chattering classes. Now they want to put teeth behind their charges.

Because of the publicity surrounding Mathew Shepherd's death, the state spent a small fortune prosecuting the case and handling media. By contrast, the rape and murder of 8-year-old Kristin Lamb, whose body was found in a landfill that same year, did not burden the state in the same way. Should Mr. Shepherd's killers receive justice? Absolutely. And they did. But Kristin's case should be at least as important and disturbing.

"Hate crime" tabulation can be quite misleading. Even though crimes based on religion constitute the second-highest category, according to the FBI, many such crimes go unreported. Some property crimes against churches are listed merely as "vandalism," not as "hate crimes."

In Tulsa, for instance, someone wrote the words "kill" and "death" on the walls of a Catholic elementary school. According to civil-rights attorney Leah Farish, the perpetrator also wrote "messages referring to devils and to sex with Christian girls. Pentagrams and the number 666 appeared as well. But the police said, 'It is not a hate crime per se. In order for it to be a hate crime, it has to be an act of malicious intention.'"

In Cleveland, Farish notes, shots were fired at a synagogue, "but these were not reported as hate crimes either." Can you feel the love yet?

A "hate crimes" law can lead to "thought crime" as is found in totalitarian countries and increasingly in Western nations that have fallen into the trap.

In Canada and Sweden, it is now a "hate crime" to criticize homosexuality in any fashion. Canadian broadcasters are forbidden to air any critical discussion of homosexuality. Private citizens and public officials have been hauled before "human rights" commissions and threatened with fines and jail time. In Sweden, a pastor was arrested at his church after he read Bible verses about homosexuality.

The "gay" lobby is frank about its desire to persecute Christians in America in just the same way, and this "hate crimes" bill is a key step in that strategy.

During the Supreme Court hearings in 2000 on the Boy Scout case, pro-life Rev. Rob Shenk was sitting in the audience next to the White House liaison for "gay" issues. Thinking the pastor was a fellow liberal, the woman whispered, "We're not going to win this case, but that's OK. Once we get 'hate crime' laws on the books, we're going to go after the Scouts and all the other bigots."

This isn't a slippery slope; it's a luge ride toward totalitarianism.

If you value the freedom to speak our minds, you might want to let public officials know in no uncertain terms how you feel about politicians who aid and abet the effort to create "thought crimes."

Robert Knight is director of the Culture and Family Institute, an affiliate of Concerned Women for America. This article ran on WorldNetDaily on May 29, 2004, and is reprinted with permission.

Hate-crimes law worries pastors   this has already been passed in Canada.  Wonna bet we will be next?  Are you ready?
 Thanks, Winnette for sending this to me.
WORLD NET DAILY
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=39204
 
FAITH UNDER FIRE
Hate-crimes law worries pastors
Some consider liability insurance to cover pulpit remarks

Posted: June 30, 2004
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com
 
A religious liberty group is trying to reassure Pennsylvania pastors who fear they could face prosecution under a new law if they preach against homosexuality.
 
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty sent a letter [Requires pdf viewer] to 9,000 houses of worship across the state June 18 after a hate-crimes law was amended to add "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" as motives that trigger heavier penalties for the crime of "harassment."
 
"It is a measure of our times that religious leaders have lately considered taking out liability insurance to cover remarks made from the pulpit," said Becket Fund President Kevin J. Hasson. 
 
Of particular concern to pastors is the amendment's expansion of the definition of "harassment" to include "harassment by communication" – which means one could be convicted on the basis of spoken words alone.
 
"Although legislators expressly disavowed the motive at the time, one might be forgiven the impression that one purpose of this legislation was to generate a fear of prosecution among those who would preach and teach in favor of the traditional prohibition on homosexual behavior – a teaching so common to so many faiths," Hasson noted.
 
However, the Becket Fund's letter explained to clergy that the new law should not deter them from preaching against homosexual conduct.
 
The group says that although the language of the law appears to cover preaching from the pulpit, it is unlikely to be applied that way.
 
The Becket Fund also offered to help ministers threatened with such prosecution.
 
"We will defend, free of charge, anything said from the pulpit, conservative or liberal, wisdom or nonsense, so long as it is a religious message given in good faith," Hasson declared.
 
As WorldNetDaily reported, Canada recently added sexual orientation as a protected category in its genocide and hate-crimes legislation, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. Opponents fear the Bible will be regarded as "hate literature" under the criminal code in certain instances, as evidenced by the case of a Saskatchewan man fined by a provincial human-rights tribunal for taking out a newspaper ad with Scripture references to verses about homosexuality. Related stories:

WorldNetDaily: 'Bible as hate speech' signed into law   http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38268
WorldNetDaily: 'Bible as hate speech' author admits stealing   http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38058
WorldNetDaily: 'Bible as hate speech' bill passes http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=34671  Says its been a good week in Canada
WorldNetDaily: 'Bible as hate speech' bill nearing vote   http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=34639  With the U.S. watching, Canada set to criminalize 'anti-gay' expression.  I remember when something like this is what would have put us on brink of war.  My how TIMES change.
WorldNetDaily: Bible verses regarded as hate  literature    http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.aspARTICLE_ID=31080   WorldNetDaily: Punishment includes Islam indoctrination   http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=29483
 WorldNetDaily: The Bible as 'hate literature'? http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=29328
WorldNetDaily: Freedom of conscience debated in Ontario   http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=25673
Man appeals fine for rejecting 'gay' client http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=25673

My Letter to John Kerry:

I just heard on the radio that you are considering Hillary for V.P.  I am glad that I haven't, as yet, given you my money, for I sure would be asking for it back.  Of course, with NO expectations of ever getting it back.  I have noticed that people who run for office, any office, are poorer than I am and I am truly BELOW poverty level. As there are a lot people who believe that marriage should be between a MAN and a WOMAN, why then is Hillary even being mentioned much less being considered?  What happened to Edwards?  Are you a mite fearful of  him?  I don't trust any of the government officials, elected or un-elected.  I seem to remember just about the same words coming out of another man's mouth and he has done everything he said he wouldn't do.  Are you going to undo the Medicare & Medicade Law. NO!  Bush has made it so that NATURAL BORN AMERICANS have less rights than those of the foreign, aliens and whoever and whatever.  People who have never worked, paid taxes or FOUGHT the wars that made our NATION the GREATEST in the WORLD at one time.  You want to tell my why I have to be told that I have to learn a new FIRST language?  This is America, we speak ENGLISH, if these other people don't then they don't need to be here.  IF we were in their country then we should and WOULD learn THEIR language.  So let them learn ours or leave.  They CHOSE to come over here.  What gives them the right to be able to TELL us what we can and can't do?  Are you going to allow us, the SOUTHERN STATES the right to keep our SOUTHERN HERITAGE?  The War against Northern Asggression was fought for our rights to keep from being told what we could and couldn't do. Yep, we lost, But we durn sure put up a great fight.  They came on down here and ruled us and having been doing it ever since.  If you or anyone else has trouble believing what I am telling you, come on down to Georgia, Florida and Bama.  Ask US true NATIVES what we think not the transplants that look down their noses at us.  Are you going to restore Judge Moore back to being a Judge.  Are you going to stop the people who are trying to ruin him?  Oh yes you can and you should.  Here again it is the very people that I was talking about before.  If they don't like the way we do things down here then stay up North or should have stayed where they were in the first place.  I believe the Clinton's are against us and they are from Arkansas. I reckon they have made it into a NORTHERN State. 
I realize that KERRY will never see this.  I will get an automated letter, 'PLEASE DON'T RESPOND TO THIS LETTER," telling me all the "good and new" things you are going to do.  How?  I don't want or need your automated letter, I have read them and have listen to the news and after the mention of Hillary I know that we are going to be in the same rut that we have been in for the past 16, 18 years. There will be NO new roads plowed by you or anyone else. 

So, as much as I hate what Bush has allowed to happen to America, I would rather he went back in than see Hillary run the White House for another 8 years. 

Now the law has been passed that the preachers can't say what is in the Bible about homosexals for fear of being sued and put in jail.  Now the churches and preachers  are being told what we can do.  Here again is the FEAR factor. People are taking GOD out of everything.  When GOD takes HIMSELF out then we will really know just how bad things can and will get.  This is no longer a FREE country.  We are living in fear everyday and now are having our FREEDOM TO WORSHIP interupted by the government.  I really and truly feel sorry when the Judgement does come,as it will to all of us, for those people who have stood up for & with those who are taking right of our freedom of worship, the WORD GOD being used in public and the removal of all that has the word GOD in it.  The same blood will be on the hands of these people who have stood by and done nothing to stop this run away train.  They are just as guilty as the people doing it.  Ithought there was suppose to a SEPARATION of STATE & GOVERNMENT?  I also thought that the word GOD was used many times in the beginning of our Country.  I thought that was one reason America was taken away from the Indians.  So that they, the white man, could have freedom to worship as they felt led.  America was founded on greed and greed will take it down.

A NATURAL BORN SOUTHERN AMERICAN,
Linda Jane Griffis

WELL, WELL, Didn't I tell them about their automated replies?  Only thing different in this one is that it doesn't have " please don't respond to this email."  I guess they have to do something for the money the American public pays in to them.

Subj: Re: [#734818] Reply from John Kerry for President  Date: 6/30/2004 1:09:43 PM Pacific Standard Time From: info@johnkerry.com To: momsfirstscreenn@aol.com Sent from the Internet (Details)

John Kerry - A Lifetime of Service and Strength.

Dear Friend,

Thank you for sending John Kerry your thoughts about gay and lesbian
issues.  With a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign since 1995,
John Kerry is a powerful voice in the ongoing fight for civil rights for
gay and lesbian Americans.

While John Kerry believes marriage is between a man and a woman, for 200
years, this has been a state issue. He opposes this election year effort
to amend the Constitution in an area that each state can adequately
address, and he will vote against such an amendment if it comes to the
Senate floor. 

John Kerry believes President Bush is wrong. All Americans should be
concerned when a President who is in political trouble tries to tamper
with the Constitution of the United States at the start of his reelection
campaign.

John Kerry believes the best way to protect gays and lesbians is through
civil unions. He believes the issue of marriage should be left to the
states, and that the President of the United States should be addressing
the central challenges where he has failed - jobs, health care, and our
leadership in the world rather than once again seeking to drive a wedge by
toying with the United States Constitution for political purposes.

Here are a couple web links to John Kerry's stance on this subject:
http://www.johnkerry.com/communities/glbt/
http://johnkerry.com/issues/glbt/

Here is the webpage devoted to John Kerry's schedule of public events:
http://www.johnkerry.com/events/

Get straight answers to attacks and distortions about John Kerry's record
at: http://blog.johnkerry.com/dbunker/

Read what other Kerry supporters are saying anytime at:
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The links below allow you to register and find other ways to help:

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You can contribute by phone by calling: 1-866-455-3779.  Or mail your
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