Conyers Re-Introduces Hate crimes Bill

[n2ize]

Rep John Conyers has re-introduced the anti-bias hate crimes bill. It would effectively add gays, lesbians, and trans-gendered persons to the list of those whom are protected against hate and bias driven crimes.

I think this is a good law and is long overdue. It is about time that more severe punishment is laid out against those who would harass, injur, assualt, mutilate, or kill someone based on sexual orientation, manner of dress, etc.

As expected the bill has received harsh criticism and opposition from conservatives and conservative religious groups.

Linque (http://www.aclu.org/lgbt/gen/29111prs20070321.html)

[K3XR]

Let's not forget who John Conyers is.....

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/printin....id=1987 (http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/printindividualProfile.asp?indid=1987)

[ab8ro]

Quote[/b] (K3XR @ April 08 2007,11:53)]Let's not forget who John Conyers is.....

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/printin....id=1987 (http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/printindividualProfile.asp?indid=1987)
No kidding, we're gonna need him to win the war against the machines.

[n2ize]

Quote[/b] (K3XR @ April 09 2007,10:53)]Let's not forget who John Conyers is.....

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/printin....id=1987 (http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/printindividualProfile.asp?indid=1987)
Despite the hatemongering and blacklisting he sounds like a decent guy. I don't agree with everything he says or does but for the most part he has tried to take the present administration to task for their share of lying, cheating, phony wars, and complete disregard for the bill of rights.

I think this most recent hate crimes bill is quite commendable. As a minoroty group that has been the target of bias, predjudice, crime, and violence, gay, lesbian and transgendered people deserve the added protection under law.

[k4kyv]

Quote[/b] (K3XR @ April 09 2007,17:53)]Let's not forget who John Conyers is.....
...no friend of Neo-cons.

http://www.house.gov/conyers/

Quote[/b] ]His district has a higher proportion of Muslims than any other in Congress, and his official congressional web site can be read in Arabic
Click on the following link (http://www.worldlingo.com/en/websites/url_translator.html). Enter the web address www.qrz.com after clicking on the language preference "Arabic" above.

See, QRZ.com, and even (gasp!) DiscoverTheNetwork.org can be read in Arabic as well. There is no Arabic language version of Conyers' website. Just a link on his home page to that same free on-line translator.

So much for honest "reporting".

[ab8ro]

Quote[/b] (KC9KOW2 @ April 08 2007,12:43)]In my state, they are already protected.
Why introduce a new bill when there are already hate crimes laws protecting just about everyone? Is Conyers adding something new to it?
You have answered your own question. In many states, they are not. If I'm not mistaken, this is adding unprotected groups to the existing federal legislation.

[n2ize]

Quote[/b] (KC9KOW2 @ April 09 2007,11:43)]In my state, they are already protected.
Why introduce a new bill when there are already hate crimes laws protecting just about everyone? Is Conyers adding something new to it?
Yes, he is adding gay, lesbian, transgender persons to the list of those who would be protected against bias crimes. In many states they are not. Being that they are a group that has undergone and continues to undergo a considerable amount of hatred, predjudice and violence Conyers (and many others including republicans) belive that extending a hate crimes bill to cover them would be a worthwhile idea.

[k5xit]

Why is it Ok for a member of a "minority" to kill a white person? This is not considered a hate crime. If you call a fag a "fag" you could go to jail? That really sucks. Pun intended. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[n2ize]

Quote[/b] (k5xit @ April 09 2007,14:00)]
Quote[/b] ]
Why is it Ok for a member of a "minority" to kill a white person?


Maybe where you live it is OK. But in most of the country it is classified as murder and punishable.

Quote[/b] ]
This is not considered a hate crime. If you call a fag a "fag" you could go to jail? That really sucks. Pun intended. #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif


The law has nothing to do with calling "a fag" a derogatory name unless of course you are deliberately chosing to harrass or threaten that person because they are gay. What the law says is that if you go out and smash a gay persons head with a baseball bat because they are gay you can be charged with a hate crime in addition to assault, or murder if the person dies.

[ka5piu]

Quote[/b] (n2ize @ April 09 2007,15:00)]
Quote[/b] ]
Why is it Ok for a member of a "minority" to kill a white person?


Maybe where you live it is OK. But in most of the country it is classified as murder and punishable.

Quote[/b] ]
This is not considered a hate crime. If you call a fag a "fag" you could go to jail? That really sucks. Pun intended. #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif


The law has nothing to do with calling "a fag" a derogatory name unless of course you are deliberately chosing to harrass or threaten that person because they are gay. What the law says is that if you go out and smash a gay persons head with a baseball bat because they are gay you can be charged with a hate crime in addition to assault, or murder if the person dies.
Hello.

But, that is the point.
If you smash a gay persons head in you get charged with murder.
Why the added charge?

[WA3WDR]

I suppose it is good to have additional protection for groups that are suffering additional abuses.

But what I want to know is why Conyers doesn't reintroduce his resolutions to censure Bush and Cheney for their lies in tricking us into the Iraq War. #Every passing day brings more confirmation of the assertions in those resolutions, and yet it all fell into the memory hole.

[K3XR]

Quote[/b] (n2ize @ April 09 2007,11:17)]Quote[/b] (K3XR @ April 09 2007,10:53)]Let's not forget who John Conyers is.....

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/printin....id=1987 (http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/printindividualProfile.asp?indid=1987)
Despite the hatemongering and blacklisting he sounds like a decent guy. I don't agree with everything he says or does but for the most part he has tried to take the present administration to task for their share of lying, cheating, phony wars, and complete disregard for the bill of rights.

I think this most recent hate crimes bill is quite commendable. As a minoroty group that has been the target of bias, predjudice, crime, and violence, gay, lesbian and transgendered people deserve the added protection under law.
Interesting guy this Conyers, wants to throw people in jail for words and release a guy from jail who killed a Philadelphia police officer.
We are all entitled to Constitutional rights, no one is entitled to additional rights.

[n2ize]

Quote[/b] (K3XR @ April 10 2007,05:03)]Quote[/b] (n2ize @ April 09 2007,11:17)]Quote[/b] (K3XR @ April 09 2007,10:53)]Let's not forget who John Conyers is.....

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/printin....id=1987 (http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/printindividualProfile.asp?indid=1987)
Despite the hatemongering and blacklisting he sounds like a decent guy. I don't agree with everything he says or does but for the most part he has tried to take the present administration to task for their share of lying, cheating, phony wars, and complete disregard for the bill of rights.

I think this most recent hate crimes bill is quite commendable. As a minoroty group that has been the target of bias, predjudice, crime, and violence, gay, lesbian and transgendered people deserve the added protection under law.
Interesting guy this Conyers, wants to throw people in jail for words and release a guy from jail who killed a Philadelphia police officer.
We are all entitled to Constitutional rights, no one is entitled to additional rights.
First of all there was significant evidence to warrent a retrial for the guy who "killed" a police officer, including people who were not permitted to testify. They even made sure they brought the same, now dead, hanging judge back in at his hearing for a retrial. If the cops has such a strong open and shut case they should have allowed the retrial to take place and he would have been executed by now. Now, he will probably never be executed.

Secondly, Conyers does not want to throw people in jail for words. That is not what the bill is about. It's about holding people responsible for hate CRIMES whence they commit an act of violence or harrasment because of gender, or sexual orientation. It has nothing to do with restricting what people say.

[N5NPO]

Why is a crime more haynus if the people who commited the crime "hated" the people they commited the crime against? Do we punish the motive or the crime? Is this supposed to be a deterant? How do we prove/disprove motive? Are we supposed to "read" the criminal's mind?
I say we have equal justice under the law. Murder is murder, even if I love the person I murdered, my punishment shouldn't be any lighter. Judge and try the criminal for the crime, not his/her thoughts or motivations. What next, thought police?

Just this "neo-con's" oninion.

[kc7mrq]

I agree with NPO. Murder is murder and shouldn't be given special consideration by putting a "minority" on a pedestal.