Hate Crimes legislation

at 10/30/09 2:49PM
It bothers me that the law treats people differently based on race, creed, sexual orientation, etc.

It is odd to me that someone could do something wrong to me (assault, harassment, etc) and be punished differently than if they did the same thing to some else simply because I am white male.

Seems as though if the 14th amendment is going to promise equal protection for all under the law...that hate crimes legislation is unconstitutional.
  • wifelet
    Good point - that's always been my gripe about hate crimes legislation - it's all stuff that was illegal to begin with ... why do we need to make it MORE illegal?
    by wifelet at 10/30/09 3:15PM
  • sjean
    I agree.
    by sjean at 10/30/09 7:42PM
  • jabberwock
    Imagine the opposite: assault on a white man was punished by 10 years in prison, but assault on a black man was punished by 5 years in prison. There would be no end to the outcry, and the outcriers would be right.
    by jabberwock at 10/30/09 8:05PM
  • tgatzajr
    Freedom of speech is a constitutional right. This legislation prohibits the freedom of speech and is therefore illegal. Unequal protection to American citizens is also unconstitutional,. The constitution strives to give equality to all people. Because of this legislation, if an homosexual is battered he is given preferential treatment over some who is battered and not a homosexual. This is inequality and should not be allowed.

    God loves all men and does not want any to be lost. However he hates sin and will not tolerate it. We should have the same attitude. We should not hate the person who sins, but rather hate the sin and should strive to save the sinner. What has happened in this country is the loss of moral behaviour. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and the other founding fathers warned of this. They said that when the country looses it's morality, it will loose it's democracy and freedom. We are seeing this today. There is an effort to throttle the freedom of the press (and speech) and there is an effort to marginalise the equality of justice. As long as socialism is allowed to permeate our legal system, we will loose our freedom and our Republic. This is one reason I have lost faith in the two big party system in Washington and after 30 years of voting I now support the Constitution Party.
    by tgatzajr at 10/31/09 2:32PM