237-180 Hate Crime bill passes US House

[warrior1]

http://americablog.blogspot.com/

[Maven]

1. Evil man-child has promised to veto.

:banghead:

[BOSSHOG]

2. Has to placate his base

Baptist Preachers don't want their hate speech to be called hate speech. Besides they won't take responsibility if one of their sheep kills a gay. It sure won't be a conservatives fault.

[insleeforprez]

3. One can legitimately oppose this

... is it any worse to kill someone for being gay than to kill someone because you want money? I'm not sure.

However, (most of) the opponents of this bill are not advocating repealing the protection on the basis of race or religion. Thus, they are hypocrites, and the only reason for NOT supporting this expansion would be bigotry.

[Maven]

4. Let us not go through all the reasons hate crimes statutes are necessary and legally valid

Please do a search on the archives, lest we start a flamewar.

[insleeforprez]

6. I promise not to start a flame war

but the problem with sites like DU (and Free Republic) is that people *tend* to not explain their ideas rationally, assuming that everyone agrees or that it needs no explanation. I can see valid points on both sides of this argument; I'm on the fence.

Perhaps you could try to convince me, and I'll consider what you have to say.

[Maven]

10. Like I said, the archives are replete with discussions on this topic

including some in which I've participated.

I don't have the time to rehash, nor do I want to distract from the topic of this post, which is an important vote.

[Hippo_Tron]

14. The best argument I've heard for hate crime statutes

Is that they are meant to send a signal to an entire group of people that they should be afraid. If you kill someone because they are gay, you are threatening everybody who is gay.

If you just kill someone because you want money, you are killing for money, not to intimidate an entire group of people.

[insleeforprez]

16. Hmm, sounds like terrorism to me

I do believe that "terrorism" is a crime, in addition to whatever murder/assault/vandalism charge would be brought up. Would the punishment enhancement be similar for a terrorism charge and a hate crime charge?

[murray hill farm]

21. You are wrong!

In the town where I live, there was a man who would knock on the doors of older women who lived alone. If they did not let him in, he kicked in the door, beat them until they were almost dead...took whatever he could and left. He struck about every 2 weeks. Finially he was caught. He preyed on older women who lived alone, he beat them way beyond what would be needed to rob them, etc. He has been charged with breaking and intering, multiple assault charges, etc....there has been discussion as to if he should be charged with "hate crime"..now, maybe he will be. I hope so. Targeting women or gays or the handicapped is a hate crime, it does not matter if a crime is also commited, the criminal targeted a particular group& not just because they are more vulnerable..but because they were of a particular group.

[Sapphire Blue]

5. Did bush veto it? That's what I heard on Hartmann.

[bdamomma]

8. no it hasn't gone to fratboy yet.

[tritsofme]

9. It hasn't been voted on in the Senate

But Bush has pledged to veto it.

[rodeodance]

20. I read that they have a 'similar" bill.

[rodeodance]

13. WH has issued a statement saying they will veto it.

[Maven]

7. FYI, Dems who voted to protect hate:

Berry
Boren
Carney
Cramer
Davis, Lincoln
Donnelly
Ellsworth
Gordon
McIntyre
Melancon
Peterson (MN)
Ross
Shuler
Taylor

EDIT: To be fair, Repukes who voted for justice:

Biggert (ironic name, no?)
Bono
Castle
Dent
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
English (PA)
Ferguson
Frelinghuysen
Gerlach
Gilchrest
Kirk
Kuhl
LaHood
LoBiondo
McCrery
Platts
Porter
Pryce (OH)
Ros-Lehtinen
Saxton
Shays
Walden (OR)
Walsh (NY)

[bluestateguy]

11. I have some questions about this bill

Does it include sexual orientation? And does the bill federalize crimes that are already coverred by state and local laws? If states are delinquent in prosecuting such crimes, then I fully support such a bill, but if the states are already prosecuting these crimes, then I question the need for a federal bill.

[Ian David]

12. But only after The GOP refused to add the elderly and US Troops to the bill

BREAKING: GOP refuses to add American troops and senior citizens to hate crime bill

by John Aravosis (DC) · 5/03/2007 01:26:00 PM ET
Discuss this post here: Comments (94) · digg it · reddit · FARK · · Link

Steny Hoyer and John Conyers just pulled a fast one on the GOP. The GOP has been refusing to support the hate crimes bill because it doesn't include members of the US Armed Forces and senior citizens. Conyers just rose and basically said, okay, I'll add them. The Republicans' response? Uh, no.

The Republicans have been railing for days about how this legislation doesn't cover our Armed Forces and senior citizens, and now that the Dems offer to put our Armed Forces and seniors in this legislation, the Republicans said no and affirmatively stopped the Democrats from doing it anyway.

That means the Republicans had no intent on helping our Armed Forces and seniors, on protecting them. It was just a stunt. The GOP leaders in Congress just got up and used our Armed Forces and seniors as political fodder when they had no intent on actually doing anything to help our Armed Forces and seniors.

Here is Steny Hoyer's statement, it's a doozy.

More:
http://americablog.blogspot.com/2007/05/good-statements-from-house-floor-debate.html

[sinkingfeeling]

Which Texan stopped the adoption of the amendment? There are so many GOP

reps from Texas that are there for the 'base', I can't guess.

[rodeodance]

15. I totally missed Pelosi hugging Barney after the vote, you can check it out here.

UPDATE: I totally missed Pelosi hugging Barney after the vote, you can check it out here.

That is an outstanding tally.

Watch an openly gay member of Congress announce the final tally :-) There is still hope for America.

[JackBeck]

22. I just watched that.

Totally have a lump in my throat. If I was home, I'd be teary.

[rodeodance]

17. BREAKING: GOP refuses to add American troops and senior citizens to hate crime bill

BREAKING: GOP refuses to add American troops and senior citizens to hate crime bill
by John Aravosis (DC) · 5/03/2007 01:26:00 PM ET
Discuss this post here: Comments (96) · digg it · reddit · FARK · · Link

Steny Hoyer and John Conyers just pulled a fast one on the GOP. The GOP has been refusing to support the hate crimes bill because it doesn't include members of the US Armed Forces and senior citizens. Conyers just rose and basically said, okay, I'll add them. The Republicans' response? Uh, no.

The Republicans have been railing for days about how this legislation doesn't cover our Armed Forces and senior citizens, and now that the Dems offer to put our Armed Forces and seniors in this legislation, the Republicans said no and affirmatively stopped the Democrats from doing it anyway.

That means the Republicans had no intent on helping our Armed Forces and seniors, on protecting them. It was just a stunt. The GOP leaders in Congress just got up and used our Armed Forces and seniors as political fodder when they had no intent on actually doing anything to help our Armed Forces and seniors.

Here is Steny Hoyer's statement, it's a doozy.

[rodeodance]

18. "Steny Hoyer and John Conyers just pulled a fast one on the GOP."

[rodeodance]

19. Repug: "the hate crimes bill is actually about giving rights to NAMBLA,"

Mary Cheney, Izzy Hernandez, and NAMBLA
by John Aravosis (DC) · 5/03/2007 11:54:00 AM ET
Discuss this post here: Comments (84) · digg it · reddit · FARK · · Link

I'm just curious what Vice President Cheney's lesbian-partnered pregnant-out-of-wedlock daughter Mary thinks about being compared to a pedophile. That's what GOP Rep. Dan Lungren (CA) just did on the House floor moments ago. He said that the hate crimes bill is actually about giving rights to NAMBLA, a group that believes in having sex with children who are six years old. So I'm just wondering how Mary feels about being compared to a child sex predator when she's just weeks away from giving birth? And how does openly gay senior Bush official Israel Hernandez, someone who Bush considers like a son, feel about being compared to someone who rapes small children?

And for that matter, how do Dick Cheney and George Bush feel about Mary and Izzy being compared to child rapists?

Labels: gay rights