Time to give Martinus an aneurysm

[CountDeMoney]

From Wash Post's PostPartisan

'Hoax' Against Hate Crimes Bill

Earlier today, I called Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), hoping to get her statement of contrition for her stunningly ignorant comments about the murder of Matthew Shepard.

While arguing against passage of the hate crimes bill yesterday, Foxx said:

I also would like to point out that there was a bill -- the hate crimes bill that's called the Matthew Shepard bill is named after a very unfortunate incident that happened where a young man was killed, but we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn't because he was gay. This -- the bill was named for him, hate crimes bill was named for him, but it's really a hoax that that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZmB4EiQtQI&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvoices%2Ewashingtonpost%2Ecom%2Fpostpartisan%2F2009%2F04%2Fhoax%5Fagainst%5Fhate%5Fcrimes%5Fbill%2Ehtml&feature=player_embedded

A hoax?

"This is the urban legend that wouldn't die," Matthew's mother, Judy Shepard, told me as she headed to the airport after spending a couple of days on Capitol Hill pushing for a federal hate crimes law. "If anyone read the court transcripts, they would know Matt was singled out because he was gay. That makes it a hate crime by any definition."

The hate crimes bill -- which would expand the definition of hate crimes punishable by federal law to include attacks based on a victim's sexual orientation, gender identity and mental or physical disability -- has had a hard time getting through Congress. President Bush was against it. Opponents, many of them Republican, believe that existing statutes are adequate. I disagree on the same grounds espoused by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who said that hate crimes "not only injure individual victims, but also terrorize entire segments of our population and tear at our nation's social fabric."

Well, despite Foxx's comments, the House yesterday passed the Federal Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 by a vote of 249 to 175.

Mrs. Shepard said she's "really confident" that it will become law this time "given the support we have from the president and Harry Reid," the senate majority leader. In a statement before the vote, President Obama said: "I urge members on both sides of the aisle to act on this important civil rights issue by passing this legislation to protect all of our citizens from violent acts of intolerance."

At Foxx's office this morning, no one answered the phone. I couldn't leave a message because the mailbox was full. But, thanks to Glenn Thrush, I was able to see the statement she released.

It has come to my attention that some people have been led to believe that I think the terrible crimes that led to Matthew Shepard's death in 1998 were a hoax. The term "hoax" was a poor choice of words used in the discussion of the hate crimes bill. Mr. Shepard's death was nothing less than a tragedy, and those responsible for his death certainly deserved the punishment they received. I am especially sorry if his grieving family was offended by my statement.

The larger context of my remarks is important. I was referring to a 2004 ABCNews 20/20 report on Mr. Shepard's death. ABC's 20/20 report questioned the motivation of those responsible for Mr. Shepard's death. Referencing this media account may have been a mistake, but it was a mistake based on what I believed were reliable accounts.

Not that she asked, but my advice to her is stop digging.

[MadImmortalMan]

 

What an idiot.

[Faeelin]

Meanwhile, the Republican rebuttal.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, Ohio Republican, told an editorial board meeting at The Washington Times that the hate-crimes bill makes him "want to throw up," and noted that it doesn't make sense to prosecute "what we think [criminals] were thinking as opposed to what they did."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/30/thought-crimes/

Yes, asshat, because mens rea is never taken into account in criminal law.

[Neil]

Meanwhile, the Republican rebuttal.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, Ohio Republican, told an editorial board meeting at The Washington Times that the hate-crimes bill makes him "want to throw up," and noted that it doesn't make sense to prosecute "what we think [criminals] were thinking as opposed to what they did."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/30/thought-crimes/

Yes, asshat, because mens rea is never taken into account in criminal law.

He brings up a good point though.  The concept of 'hate crimes' laws are deeply offensive, especially at this late date.  I mean, if peoples who were actually persecuted didn't need hate crime laws, maybe gays should just shut up and kill themselves.

[Faeelin]

He brings up a good point though.  The concept of 'hate crimes' laws are deeply offensive, especially at this late date.  I mean, if peoples who were actually persecuted didn't need hate crime laws, maybe gays should just shut up and kill themselves.

What people? There's federal hate crime legislation in place already in the US for race, religion, and national origin.

[garbon]

I dislike hate crime legislation but I understand its purpose.

[Neil]

He brings up a good point though.  The concept of 'hate crimes' laws are deeply offensive, especially at this late date.  I mean, if peoples who were actually persecuted didn't need hate crime laws, maybe gays should just shut up and kill themselves.

What people? There's federal hate crime legislation in place already in the US for race, religion, and national origin.

The Irish.

[MadImmortalMan]

283 If a free man strikes a slave, he shall pay ten shekels

284 If a free man strikes another free man, he shall pay one gold mina

285 If a free man strikes a gay or a minority, he shall pay six gold mina and have his ear cut off

[Ed Anger]

283 If a free man strikes a slave, he shall pay ten shekels

284 If a free man strikes another free man, he shall pay one gold mina

285 If a free man strikes a gay or a minority, he shall pay six gold mina and have his ear cut off

I should be free to thrash martinus on the street. 

[Phillip V]

[Neil]

283 If a free man strikes a slave, he shall pay ten shekels

284 If a free man strikes another free man, he shall pay one gold mina

285 If a free man strikes a gay or a minority, he shall pay six gold mina and have his ear cut off

I should be free to thrash martinus on the street. 

You're an American.  You can go to Poland and flout their laws, thanks to the extraterritoriality agreement you guys inserted into the missile defence agreement.

I suggest you fly in and savage him.

[Ed Anger]

Plus, Polish cops wouldn't be able to figure out my "zig-zag" style of evasion.

[DontSayBanana]

Plus, Polish cops wouldn't be able to figure out my "zig-zag" style of evasion.

Make sure you do it on a rainy day and stay above them.

[derspiess]

Plus, Polish cops wouldn't be able to figure out my "zig-zag" style of evasion.

[Viking]

It should be free to thrash martinus on the street. 

There, fixed it for you...