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House Passes Hate Crimes Bill Protecting GLBT Americans and People with Disabilities
Tyler Lewis, civilrights.org., May 04, 2007 12:00 AM EDT
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals are one step closer to being a protected class under federal hate crimes laws. The U.S. House of Representatives today voted, 237-180, to pass the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HR 1592).
Nearly 14% of hate crimes in 2005 were committed against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals. "No one can deny the reality of hate violence against LGBT people," said Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "The importance of this cannot be overstated."
HR 1592 has the endorsement of 230 law enforcement, civil rights, civic and religious organizations and the support of 73 percent of the American people and has been approved separately in the House and the Senate by bipartisan majorities on a number of occasions since 2000, but final passage has been blocked by the House Republican leadership.
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The surprising thing is not that this has been blocked by Republican leadership but that it actually passed a House vote. What also is not surprising is the President's promise to veto it if the bill hits his desk.
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13801
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So this is a step to stay in the same place?
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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is a crime worse because it specifically is based on something like race gender or sexuality? the injuries are still the same... an assault is still an assault.
i appreciate the thought behind various hate crime legislation, like the british Crime and Disorder Act 1998, that stipulated that offences which were racially aggravated would carry tougher penalties, but i really wonder, does it actually make a difference?
Odi et amo: quare id faciam, fortasse requiris.
Nescio, set fieri sentio et excrucior
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I tend to agree with you my friend. To me - hate is hate. No matter the motivation, whether it be sexual, racial, gender etc, crimes based upon hate are deplorable. I don't think there should be a hierarchy of hate crimes. Want I wanted to show here, more than anything, was a government (of the people) that holds a segment of the people in such poor esteem. We have a government that has no problem in publicly denouncing homosexuals. But then what is different eh? As Timmy said, the bill is but a step to stay in the same place. But in a way that is good - at least it isn't a step backwards.
Youth crisis hot-line 866-488-7386, 24 hr (U.S.A.)
There are people who want to help you cope with being you.
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i suppose what amazes me the most in these kind of situations is the comparative stances of the "land of the free" the "land of liberty" the "leader of the free world" and that of the signatory states of the council of europe's european convention on human rights.
hate crime? meh... an assault is an assault
but europe has one thing right. our hate crimes work both ways. hatred on the basis of sexual orientation means a gay man can be guilty of it in a heterophobic attack. black men have been found guilty of racist attacks.
if i had one word to describe the hate crimes bill mentioned it would be "discriminatory"
Odi et amo: quare id faciam, fortasse requiris.
Nescio, set fieri sentio et excrucior
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I suppose what necessitated the concept of a hate crime bill in the first place was the fact that existing laws were being ignored. For instance, crimes were committed against black people and local or state governments would essentially look the other way. If the crimes were commited against a race or class of people that the majority felt no empathy towards then they could be disregarded. It is a shame that new laws need to come into existence to force a government to act on the laws already in place. You're right, the hate crimes bill is discriminatory - in my mind. And this is strange in that the purpose is to put an end to discrimination.
Youth crisis hot-line 866-488-7386, 24 hr (U.S.A.)
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saben
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On fire! |
Registered: May 2003
Messages: 1537
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I agree, a crime is a crime. Discrimination may be a motivator, but a crime is still a crime. I think that if discrimination is a motivator then really it provides less mitigating circumstances but it should still be charged as the same crime.
"I beat the **** up because he slept with my girlfriend"
"I beat the **** up because he's gay"
"I beat the **** up because he spilt my drink"
The first gives more of a justification but really all are as bad as each other.
Look at this tree. I cannot make it blossom when it suits me nor make it bear fruit before its time [...] No matter what you do, that seed will grow to be a peach tree. You may wish for an apple or an orange, but you will get a peach.
Master Oogway
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