http://newamericantruth.com/natwp/2009/11/the-hate-crimes-prevention-act/

 

The Hate Crimes Prevention Act

Frank Borelli
Editor In Chief
New American Truth
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Most of you good readers know that I don’t shy away from speaking my mind. What you may not realize is that occasionally I have to calm down about a topic before I write about it. Why? Because I tend to have even less filter between my brain and mouth (or typing fingers) when I’m riled up. SO… it’s taken me this long to get calm enough about this topic: hate crime laws.

In this article we read an opinion that guns may well be better protection for homosexuals than the new Hate Crimes Prevention Act President Obama signed into law in October. The expanded federal hate crimes law makes it a crime to assault any person because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. Okay… in slightly simpler terms: it’s now an additional crime to victimize someone for being gay, cross-dressing, trans-gendered, etc. My biggest question and personal pet peeve in this case is this: Will this law be enforced if a homosexual, trans-gendered or otherwise sexually confused person commits a crime against a heterosexual?

Think about it. The original intent of such laws is rarely (in my experience) realized. Affirmative Action was meant to protect minorities from prejudicial treatment. In many places today, Caucasian men and women are the minority but the law doesn’t protect them – as it should. Instead, because of the definition of “minority”, it continues to advance the welfare and concerns of the “minority” (actually the majority) groups in that area. This new law is designed to protect just about everyone that isn’t heterosexual, but what if the victim of the crime is heterosexual and that plays any role in the motive for the crime? Will law makers and, more particularly, law enforcers use this new legislation in a fair and indiscriminate manner? or will they be prejudicial in their enforcement of it, thereby negating the true potential value? Time will tell.

But along that same train of thought, I have to voice another:

It’s my belief that this new law is a waste of legislation, time and effort. No, I don’t mean that it’s right to victimize someone based on their sexuality. It is equally not right to protect them simply based on their sexuality. It’s not right to protect them on any “protected status”, i.e. sex, age, race, religion, nationality, etc. Laws should be fairly written to include every citizen and not specify any given group. In doing so, the law alienates and treats in a prejudicial fashion anyone not in that protected group.

This new law was named after Matthew Shepard – murdered in 1998 apparently because he was gay – and James Byrd, Jr., killed by white supremacists because he as black. Both murders are heinous crimes and the murderers should be punished to the full extent of the law. But riddle me this: how is the murder of either of those men more heinous than, say, the murder of my 11-yr old son? or my 21-yr old son? or either of my daughters? or my wife? my best friend? his mother? What makes the crime committed against someone belonging to a minority group a WORSE crime than one committed against anyone else?

Murder is murder. Assault is assault. The crime shouldn’t be treated differently simply because the victim belongs to a minority. In doing so the legislation implies that the life and welfare of a minority individual is somehow of greater value than that of a non-minority.

Now, please understand. I (personally) don’t understand homosexuality and I understand, perhaps even less, those who are one sex and choose to live as the other. The reality of life is, I don’t have to understand. It’s not my business. To be blunt, as long as it doesn’t impact my family, I couldn’t care less. I spent too many years in a uniform defending the right of every American to live free of restrictions on their personal liberties and freedoms. That means, whether I understand or not, I did and am still willing to stand and fight to defend the lifestyle of citizens even if it’s not one I like, approve of, whatever. Again, it’s not my business.

However, when the government creates legislation that implies my life is less valuable than an Hispanic gay transvestite’s life, I get a tad confused – and slightly angered. Both lives are of equal value. Stop treating me different simply because I’m a Caucasian Male!

What do you think about this? How do you feel about it?