Dems Sneak Hate Crimes Bill In Defense Initative
Democrats are expected to sneak the hate crimes bill through the Senate as early as tomorrow after they offered it as an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill.
The Senate approved the same hate crime legislation last year as part of the military funding bill, but it was never reconciled with the House’s bill.
The current House version – H.R. 1913, or the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 – was passed April 29 and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
Now the Senate is considering the military appropriations bill, or S.1390, and the Senate “hate crimes” act, or S. 909, may be passed as an amendment soon.
The “hate crimes” legislation now faces its best chance in years to become federal law.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced Senate consideration of S.909, or the “Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act” on Tuesday.
“For the last decade, Matthew Shepard’s name has been associated with hate crimes. When this bill passes, his name will thereafter be associated with justice,” Reid said, according to a Politico report.
Sen. John McCain, R.-Ariz, blasted the hate crimes amendment today, saying it is unrelated to the defense bill
Senate Letter Calls For Filibuster Of Hate Crimes Bill
May 25, 2009 by admin
Filed under new world order
A Texas pastor has written an open letter to the U.S. Senate, asking someone, anyone, to filibuster pending “hate crimes” legislation and stop what he calls a “maddening march to the destruction of our First Amendment right to freely practice our religion.”
As WND has reported, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 would provide special protections to homosexual people but leave Christian ministers open to prosecution should their teachings be linked to any subsequent offense, by anyone, against a homosexual person.
A hearing on the act, already approved by the U.S. House as H.R. 1913 and pending in the Senate as S. 909, is expected in the Senate Judiciary Committee soon.
Concerned individuals may contact elected officials, sign a petition against hate crimes legislation and participate in WND’s FedEx campaign to send thousands of letters to senators by overnight delivery.
“The legislation pending before you will make me an ‘inducer’ to hate crimes if I preach Romans 1:18-32 and someone who hears me then commits a criminal act against a protected class,” writes Rev. Rick Scarborough of Harvest Point Church in Nacogdoches, Texas, and founder of Vision America. “It is clear that this bill will criminalize biblical preaching and will prevent me and thousands of other clergymen from practicing our faith without threat of penalty from our own federal government.”
Romans 1:18-32 is particularly inflammatory, labeling homosexual acts in various translations as against nature, indecent, unseemly and perversion.
Under a comparable law in Sweden, a minister was sentenced to 30 days in jail for preaching from Leviticus, which labels male homosexual acts as detestable. Similar state laws have resulted in similar results. In Philadelphia several years ago, a 73-year-old grandmother was reported to have been jailed for trying to share Christian tracts with people at a homosexual festival.
HR 1913 Attorneys Urge Senate to Vote Against Hate Crimes Bill
May 4, 2009 by admin
Filed under Stories Of Interest
Attorneys at a Christian legal group are urging the U.S. Senate not to pass the expanded “Hate Crimes” bill, which the House this week voted 249-175 in favor of.
The attorneys at the Alliance Defense Fund insist that the bill, H.R. 1913, could severely impede Americans’ constitutional rights to freedom of religion and freedom of expression while creating additional legal protections for those engaged in homosexual behavior that are not available to everyone else.
If made into law, the bill would add violence against individuals based on sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability to the list of federal hate crimes. Current federal law only covers crimes committed on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity or national origin.
“All violent crimes are hate crimes, and all crime victims deserve equal justice,” said ADF Senior Counsel Kevin Theriot in a released statement. “So-called ‘hate crime’ laws actually serve only one purpose: The criminalization of citizens based on whatever thoughts, beliefs, and emotions they have that are not considered to be ‘politically correct.’ No one should fall for the idea that this bill does anything to bring about greater justice for Americans.”
Last week, ADF attorneys had delivered a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, urging it to reject the bill. In it, the attorneys shared how similar efforts to “impose upon sincere people of faith a ‘political orthodoxy’” have already led to fines, arrests, and prosecution in states with similar legislation.
One small photography company in New Mexico, for example, had been fined by that state’s human rights commission for refusing to photograph a civil union “commitment ceremony.”
In another example, a group of Christians in Philadelphia that protested at an “Outfest” in 2005 was arrested and charged under Pennsylvania’s hate crimes laws with “ethnic intimidation,” “riot,” and “conspiracy.”
“Although the charges were ultimately dismissed (with Alliance Defense Fund assistance), they nevertheless had to go through the ordeal of arrest and prosecution,” the attorneys noted.
“Simply being required to undergo a criminal defense in such circumstances can lead to a chill and censorship of legitimate free speech and free exercise of religion activities,” they added.
HR 1913 – Will Hate Crime Bill Silence Pastors
April 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under new world order
The U.S. House today approved a federal “hate crimes” bill that would provide special protections to homosexuals but leave Christian ministers open to prosecution should their teachings be linked to any subsequent offense, by anyone, against a “gay.”
The vote, 249-175, came despite intense from Republicans who argued the measure would create a privileged class.
Bishop Harry Jackson Jr. of the High Impact Leadership Coalition also condemned the action, offering a warning about the nation’s future.
He was interviewed on the issue by Greg Corombos of Radio America/WND, and the audio of his interview is embedded here:
Social conservatives say their right to free speech will be jeopardized if hate crimes legislation now headed to the Senate becomes law.
A Senate hate crimes bill that would extend federal protection to gay and transgender victims is rousing the ire of social conservatives who say their right to free speech will be jeopardized if it becomes law.
“In and of itself this law can be applied to speech. The nature of assault — putting someone in fear of their safety — what will that mean for someone preaching against homosexuality?” said Mathew Staver, founder of the Liberty Council, a law firm that works on religious freedom cases.
“It elevates homosexuality to the same protective category as race. It’s all part of the radical homosexual anarchist agenda,” Staver said.
For much of the last decade gay rights activists have been fighting for inclusion within the federal hate crimes law, which places greater penalties on crimes that are committed based on race, ethnicity and religion. Social conservatives, including former President George W. Bush, have fought the legislation on the grounds it could be used to prosecute religious groups who say homosexuality is morally wrong.
But with Democrats now controlling both houses of Congress and the White House, gay rights activists are confident the law will pass and President Obama will sign it. The bill passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday, 249-175.
HR 1913 Hate Crimes Bill Gains Approval of House Panel
April 23, 2009 by admin
Filed under Stories Of Interest
The House Judiciary Committee approved legislation Thursday to extend federal hate crimes law to cover offenses based on sexual orientation.
The measure was approved 15-12 after a two-day debate and the defeat of more than a dozen Republican amendments.
Current federal hate crime law covers the use or threat of force based on race, color, religion or national origin. The new bill also covers crimes committed based on gender identity.
The panel considered more than a dozen GOP amendments Wednesday over the course of five hours, and rejected another five before approving the bill.
The bill, H.R. 1913, is named the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. As of Tuesday the bill already had 42 co-sponsors. The bill was introduced into the House on April 2 by U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), chair of the House Judiciary Committee.
“All freedom loving Americans must voice their opposition to this bill,” said Dr. Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission. “If this bill passes it lays the foundation for censoring Christians. In other countries, Like in Canada and Sweden, where these types of hate crime laws have been implemented, pastors and Christians have been jailed and fined for their faithful adherence to the biblical values.”
HR 1913 Hate Crimes Legislation Vote Coming
April 20, 2009 by admin
Filed under Stories Of Interest
U.S. Representative, Barney Frank, announced Thursday that the House Judiciary Committee will be considering hate crimes legislation, H.R. 1913, this coming week of April 20. Frank is expecting the committee to pass the bill which would leave it in the House to vote on later this spring, according to a news release issued by Barney Frank on his website last week.*
The bill, H.R. 1913, is named the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. As of Tuesday the bill already had 42 co-sponsors. The bill was introduced into the House on April 2 by U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), chair of the House Judiciary Committee.
“All freedom loving Americans must voice their opposition to this bill,” said Dr. Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission. “If this bill passes it lays the foundation for censoring Christians. In other countries, Like in Canada and Sweden, where these types of hate crime laws have been implemented, pastors and Christians have been jailed and fined for their faithful adherence to the biblical values.”
US Congressman John Conyers reintroduced the same bill that passed in 2007. The bill was passed in less than one hour before any opposition could be mounted. It was eventually vetoed by President Bush. President Obama has expressed his support of hate crime legislation and is expected to sign the bill if passed.
The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission is calling on all freedom loving American’s to call the house Judiciary Committee and tell them to vote no on hate crimes that take away religious liberty and freedom of speech.
Christian Pastors Worried By H.R. 1913
A Texas congressman who is a former judge warns that the “hate crimes” legislation reintroduced in the U.S. House could potentially lead to the arrest of Christian pastors who speak out against sexual immorality.
Representatives John Conyers (D-Michigan) and Mark Kirk (R-Illinois) are sponsoring the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (H.R. 1913), also known as the “Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act.” The bill would add sexual orientation to the list of categories covered under federal hate crime law. When Democrats passed the bill in 2007, they were divided over whether to add “gender identity and expression” to the list.
Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) says under the legislation, pastors, rabbis, or imams could be charged with encouraging or inducing a “hate crime” if they preach against homosexuality.
Bible ban”Every preacher of the gospel, unless you cut out parts of it; every imam who mentions anything with regard to sexual immorality — they could be pursued, and in other countries they have been,” says the Texas lawmaker.
Gohmert shares information he received from abroad. “I was talking to a guy from Norway who was telling me that people are even afraid to say Mary was a virgin, because just bringing up sexuality at all can raise problems with law enforcement,” he says.
