Saturday, June 13, 2009
A View Against Hate Crimes Legislation Part I
Hate crimes laws do the the very thing they wish to prevent, they create hate. Whether the hate erupts in backlash from those who didn't like the group to begin with or from the protected group that now takes license to provoke and strike back at their so called oppressors make no mistake, hate is in fact amplified rather than subdued. Furthermore, hate crimes legislation prevents free speech and free expression of religion which are the nations first freedoms.
Creation of this type of legislation actually places one groups views, beliefs, and lifestyle in a position that is elevated and given more protection than their opposition (more on equal protection in a later post). It also makes advocating certain views criminal offenses. This is inappropriate in a free land. The ability to advocate until you no longer have breath against someone else who would vehemently oppose you is what America's freedom was supposed to protect. In a case from several years ago in Philadelphia Christians who were evangelizing at a gay pride rally were arrested and charged with hate crimes. In that case the Philadelphia city prosecutor attacked the Christian defendants as "hateful" and referred to preaching the Bible as "fighting words," a characterization, with which the judge in the case agreed. (referenced from http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=41969). Is this appropriate?
No, not under what our Constitution and Founding Fathers originally intended. However, those people who advocate for hate crimes legislation would rather close down debate and shut out those who oppose their point of view. One has to ask why? If you are correct, if your lifestyle is correct, then why stifle debate? Why would a group want to be differentiated? Doesn't this create a similar type of backlash that we witnessed with other protectionist programs like affirmative action?
As Justice Clarence Thomas has stated, affirmative action caused blacks to be judged by a double standard, viewed as not actually worthy to be where they were by white racists and bigots. Make no mistake those views were bigoted, however, the truth remains that while the affirmative action program was supposed to raise black people up, it really created another reason for them to be attacked and singled out. Hate crimes legislation will be no different I fear. Moreover, the hate crimes law will come with the additional evil of silencing opposition and abridging free speech. Is this the country we are becoming? Is this what the future of our nation holds?
While proponents argue that the laws protect threatened groups, especially homosexuals, from being targets of hateful acts, they more often grant a license for those groups to abridge religious freedom. If a pastor, citizen or anyone tries to point out the Biblical truth that homosexuality is blatantly wrong, a sin like every other sin from which Jesus Christ offers redemption, then that is considered "hate." (referenced from http://www.cwfa.org/articledisplay.asp?id=9672&department=cfi&categoryid=papers).
These persecutions of Christians and traditionalists have already taken place here in the United States and all over the world where hate crimes bills have been enacted.
I encourage you to oppose these laws now. As they traditionally say at weddings, speak now or forever hold your peace...otherwise you could be prosecuted.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment