H.R. 1592 Matthew Shepard National Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act

I was listening to the radio and the Bill H.R.1592 was brought up and it was mentioned that becasue of the Democratically ran congress, they might stand a chance re-proposing this bill and that homosexuality might be added to the Hate crime legislation act.

Here’s the dealio. This bill was proposed back in 2007 and Bush vowed to veto this bill if it made it through the House and the Senate. It pass the House by 54% but did not pass the Senate.

Now that we have a Democratic president, Mr. Barack Obama, a Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and a Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, along with a democratic controlled Congress, this leaves me with two thoughts. One, that if this H.R. 1592 is brought back up it will probably pass, and two, that the Democrats have power. They better do something or the Republicans will drive them in the dirt. If they think their all taht and a bag of chips, it better be the best dinner we’ve ever had. I digress.

So here’s the dealio with the bill. Many religious people have often said that this bill will silence the scriptures as well as those who preach it. At this point unless I can be proven wrong, I disagree. Although, I disagree with the passing of this bill simply because I do believe it is the beginning or perhaps the continuance of the downfall of our legislative system, it simply does not discipline those for speaking and preaching what the bible says. That would be a form of suppressing the freedom of speech in the 1st Amendment.

What the bill does say is

Sec. 249. Hate crime acts

• • • `(i) death results from the offense; or`(ii) the offense includes kidnaping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill.

    `(A) shall be imprisoned not more than 10 years, fined in accordance with this title, or both; and

    `(B) shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life, fined in accordance with this title, or both, if–

  `(1) OFFENSES INVOLVING ACTUAL OR PERCEIVED RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN- Whoever, whether or not acting under color of law, willfully causes bodily injury to any person or, through the use of fire, a firearm, or an explosive or incendiary device, attempts to cause bodily injury to any person, because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin of any person–

`(a) In General-

SEC. 8. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

Nothing in this Act, or the amendments made by this Act, shall be construed to prohibit any expressive conduct protected from legal prohibition by, or any activities protected by the free speech or free exercise clauses of, the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Basically, what these two pieces are saying is that there has to be bodily harm in order to prosecuted of a hate crime and that it does NOT  suppress our freedom of speech.

Also, Matt Barber, director of cultural affairs at Liberty Counsel, believes the bill is unnecessary… “The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees equal protection under the law,” he explains. “Hate crimes legislation is a prima fascia violation of the Fourteenth Amendment in that it elevates one class of citizen based upon their chosen sexual behaviors above other people. It creates a two-tiered justice system where there are first-class victims and second-class victims.”

So here we have it, an amendment that already provides equal protection to all citizens, a proposed bill that says bodily harm has to take place before prosecution and freedom of speech stays intact. This means I can and will continue to preach the scriptures that sin is sin whether I am a liar of a homosexual, or just a down right greedy person. Sin is sin!!!!!!