S.909 - Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act
A bill to provide Federal assistance to States, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes, and for other purposes. view all titles (3)
All Bill Titles
- Short: Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act as introduced.
- Popular: Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act as introduced.
- Official: A bill to provide Federal assistance to States, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes, and for other purposes. as introduced.
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U.S. Congress - S.909 Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act



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Displaying 151-180 of 454 total comments.
Oh and I don't need your sorrow if you are referring to how you know the truth of God's word and are going to heaven while individuals like myself are going to hell according to your precious little bible. Well honey first off I'm an athiest and couldn't care less for your god....
I would gladly debate with you on the merits of this bill, but when the christians insist on making statements that are an attempt to inflame the christian population into action through misleading statements and bold face lies (largely because they don't take the time to research the truths) then I find it difficult to communicate with those individuals. The christian groups continue to spread the lies about protections for pediphiles, incest, preachers being thrown in jail for preaching the bible like in Canada, and how if you beat up a child molestor you would get a harsher penalty than them. Let me expand on these:
To begin with the christian right are taking the meaning of sexual orientation from the DSM - IV ... I would bet that 99% of the christians who throw this crap around don't even know what the DSM IV is. Yet they all pretend to be an expert on it just like they claim to be experts on bible (despite the fact that the vast majority of christian have not read more than ten pages from it, the bible that is). Well let me educate you.. the DSM IV is the current issue of the diagnostic and statistical manual version four of the psychiatric mental disorders. Which lists 20 - 30 behaviors and disorders some of which are felony offenses if you act on them because they cause direct and real harm to the victim. Well my friends being a part of the GLBT population does not cause direct and real harm to any victim
Now as to the scare tactic stating that preachers would be prosecuted for preaching the bible like in Canada... Well I have researched both the canadian Hate propaganda law and court cases from it and have found once again more lies from the christian right. There law clearly states that a person could not be charged under this law if that person could show they were simply stating there religous beliefs. Now if you feel that a preacher has the right to publically incite individuals under there influence to physically attack another human simply for being gay.. then I now know why i'm not a christian!
Now lets look at the final point I listed.. the whole your grandma would get a harsher penalty for beating up a child molester than the child molester would get statement. Well lets look at who spread that crap. You might want to take a look at the arian nations website pertaining to this, and we all know how wonderful these organizations have been through time...(Klan) ... and there connections to the religous right in history. Why you might want to compare their web site with that of the traditional values coalition... look similar to me. This is an easy one... pedaphilia is a felony crime that inflicts harm on it's victim .... anyone with at least three and a half brain cells can see through that line of crap.
Like I've said before Krystal, its brown shirts and white robes that shout the loudest. They spread hatred and chaos just to watch good people go to hell.
My dear lady, the problem is if you accidentally run over a gay man and kill him, the court could decide it was a hate crime. But how would they really know? There is no way they could really know and that is the problem. Or would it be automatically be a hate crime since the man was in the protected class (homosexual minority)?
If this odious anti-free speech bill passes, expect the next push for draconian firearm and weapon control to establish the tyranny's foothold.
U.S. Congress should repeal the entire American Constitution if they despise the People's freedom.
When this bill passes, it will mark the beginning of the end of America as a constitutional republic, albeit 45 years in the making since JFK's murder.
Washington should declare itself "Zionist Occupation Government". Militant Zionist (& Mossad liasion) organization Anti-Defamation League is behind this monstrosity.
Violence is not the real issue. Murder, assult, attempted murder, and so on is already illegal. The 2 men who commited the crime for which this bill is named are in jail for life. What someones race, gender, SEXUAL ORIENTATION has NOTHING to do with it. You ARE discriminating when you say that certain crimes should be more punishable then others. This bill may be with good intentions but it WILL BE used and twisted in unintended ways.
This bill will actually increase prejudice against minorities. Whenever certain groups receive preferential treatment, resentment toward those groups grows.
If we want equality in America, this bill prevents that. It differentiates between gays, racial groups, and religious groups. As a member of a minority group, I believe that this bill will only increase frustration toward minorities.
There are already laws in place which prosecute violent crimes. Use those to treat all citizens with equal respect and protection.
Matthew Ryan was not killed because the killers found out he was gay, rather he was killed because he was being robbed.
Actually they didn't kill him at all. They just beat him nearly to death then strung him up as an example to keep other 'gays' out of town.
They said they planned to rob him, but they didn't.
I've never heard of a robbery victim being brutalized and then left hanging on a fence post with their wallet left in their pants with money in it.
OK, where do I find the truth about this crime? People are claiming different motives.
Very simply, yet very forward thinking: Hate Crimes Legislation = legitimizing homosexuality (and many other sexual practices)at the same level as gender and race. This then becomes a legal precedent for civil rights litigation; it doesn't take a rocket scientist for figure out what the gay political agenda conquest is for making homosexuality = to heterosexuality and thus making for redefinition of all sexuality, family, marriage and all benefits connected. There will also be the teaching and propagation of homosexuality at every instructional teaching institution in the USA. THIS IS BAD NEWS!
Further excellent reading on this subject can be located at: http://www.robgagnon.net/homosexHateCrimePart1.htm
Why is this bill being called the pedophile protection bill? Will a desire to have sex with children be considered sexual orientation?
I think Christians do have a valid concern. I wish everyone could read "A Holocaust Reader" by Lucy Davidovic(spelling?). I read it when I was in college so its probably out of print. It details the slow way the Nazi government stripped the Jews of their citizenship and ultimately their rights. It could happen anywhere.
The intentions of the bill don't mean a thing. If you go back and read the discussions in Congress with the Social Security system was created, the sponsors swore that the Social Security number would never be used as an ID number. How'd that work out. The RICO statutes were created and trampled on some constitutional rights of the day. But it was only to fight the mob. But its been used beyond that now.
Hate crime legislation is thought legislation. This is absolutely not in keeping with a free society. If someone murders someone does it matter if they hate them or not? No, of course it doesn't. They are both murderers and should be prosecuted as such. This type of legislation is about control not good lawmaking.
You should take note that the comity in question is stacking the deck in there favor 5 to 1.Allowing only 1 representative that apposes this to 5 supporters.This bill is a threat to fredom of speech plain & simpel.Both Australia & Canada have such laws.Australia recenly took freedom of speech from its people.
unconstitutional.
This Bill makes it all right for adults to have sex with minors. also, if you are Christian, you can't quote the BIBLE for that would be construed as a hate crime. It appears that if you have strong feelings about the type of people you are protecting, we can't speak about it in a group outside my house for fear of reprisal of being arrested for a hate crime. I feel like my country is becoming COMMUNIST RUSSIA !!!
Yes, the NEW WORLD ORDER with the Communist Jews again running the show similar to the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. They said it could never happen here.
I live in a small minded town and this bill will open the police to abuse powers in which they do here . Why do you keep adding more to this bill after you post it ? What happened to being honest with people . Also why have you blocked votes yea and nea .
Do we need any more proof of Congress's goals? Do we need any more proof that indeed, these people are obsessed with thought crimes, pre-crime, etc. because they want & need total control over other people? What do we call people like this? PSYCHOPATHS. And they always choose powerful positions -- FOR THEMSELVES.
Don't think you can: win / vote them out / change the system / make a difference / get them to change. It's an illusion.
At what level will we say 'enough'. At what level will we refuse to obey tyranny. What is the 'final straw'?
EXPAND FUNDING, EXPAND FUNDING! That's all I hear these days. All while the private sector is hurting.
Brilliant idea. Let's take an already unconstitutional law and make it bigger!
When did we start caring about why someone committed a crime instead of simply punishing the fact that they committed one? (rhetorical question)
I can see how this could very easily turn into a first amendment issue. This bill equates emotional harm with violence. It should never be illegal to hurt someones feeling's... That concept couldn't be any more anti-American. If you physically hurt someone, physically threaten someone, or tell a lie that could cause a person legal implications--those things could understandibly be called illegal. But even those matters largely fall within state juristiction. All in all, this bill could very easily become government enforced political correctness that is unconstitutional in multiple ways.
A crime is a crime. The punishment should have nothing to do with a persons emotional state.
Yet another unconstitutional bill, and this one is a direct attack on our 1st amendment rights. This bill will target everything from Internet conversations to political blogs. Of course the government wants to shut down all the truther blogs that are exposing their plots.
Let America not become communist China.
The problem with any law that deems "hate" as a crime is that hate is part of intent. Without being psychic, one cannot truly and fully determine one's intent. What we see more is the assumption of intent. Simply because the assailant was white, the shooting of a black man was obviously a hate crime...
People need to get off this nonsense concerning perceptions of hate, racism and any other prejudices. Stop being Black, White, Jewish or whatever the hell you label yourself as and just be Human Beings!
I do have to admit to being racist, myself. I just can't stand that damned Human Race!
You've spoken correctly...the human race is damned...unless...
These sites are really just a waste of time, given that the moron christian right have trouble with reading and understanding the purpose of any bill that involves the GLBT population. They just use them as platform to spout their stupid bible quotes, kind of amazes me they can read that piece of literary trash. Ya I said trash. Bible thump on someone who cares!!! I would once again state the true meaning and purpose of this bill, but given that several of us have multiples times on this and other sites.... I will leave you to your dark ages thoughts...Oh and the world is flat and the earth is the center of the universe... make sure to pick up your latin version of bible now so you can't read it (it's only for clergy members to decode). You might think I don't like Christians... and you would be kind of right... I don't like mindless bible spouting morons and really don't care if you hate me.. have a nice day!