H.R. 1913 (Hate Crimes)

April 29, 2009. Mr. Speaker: It comes down to this: Free societies punish acts. Authoritarian regimes punish opinions and thoughts.

The supporters of this bill speak of punishing violent acts but we already punish those violent acts, as well we should. This measure calls for additional punishment not for the violent act itself but for the opinion behind the act.

Before we embarked down this path, the opinions of a criminal were irrelevant it was the act that we proscribed and it was the act that we punished.

Many civil libertarians warned us back then that if we placed in the hands of government the ability to define what opinions it likes and doesnt like and then punished those opinions on top of the acts themselves we would have started down a very slippery and dangerous slope.

That point was clearly illustrated when the committee voted down an amendment to include military personnel under the hate crimes law. The supporters of this measure have made it very clear that they are actively involved in singling out particular opinions for special protection and other opinions for special punishment the very definition of inequality.

In his famous letter arguing for the separation of church and state, Thomas Jefferson said, The legitimate powers of government reach actions and not opinions.

This measure clearly exceeds the legitimate powers of government and takes us another step away from the concept of equal protection under law.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Hate
• Crimes

[410sprinter3]

Thanks for speaking for decent people in America Congressman . NO DICTATORSHIPS!

[Revgirl5]

Excellent

[mattemus1978]

you people are so stupid can't you see that this hate crime law is just a scape goat to take away your freedom of speech, murder is murder why do you think its right that murder of a homosexual, black, or any other minority should carry a more sever penalty than that of a strait white, why? do you fucken people realize what you have done, it's illeagle to tell a gay joke now, hundreds of thousands died for freedom of speech and you piss on there graves. Its each citizen's duty to fight this.

[prepper1987]

I wish he was my congressman :(

[BiggsReport]

He's a new member of the US House of Representatives. FYI; both Senators and Members of the House can be called "Congressman" because they are both part of the US Congress. He was in Sacramento for a long time in the State Legislature, and now represents part of Northern California in the House.

[ELLAYforEVER]

a vote for HATE is a vote AGAINST YOU!

[hajishack79]

And only 39 views on an American changing bill. I bet Miley Cyrus videos have a million plus..lol

[hajishack79]

Congressman or Senator? Not aware of who this guy is. But anyone speaking for me (A soldier) or any citizen, and anoyne who bases their service to this country off of our bill of rights and constitution is good in my eyes.

[yamagoof]

Thank you Tom! You are speaking for those of us who have no voice in Washington.