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Letter to the editor: Scholar wrong about hate crimes law

By Betsy Soler

Green Mountain

Published: October 29, 2009

In response to Tuesday's article by Charles Haynes, "Hate Crimes Bill Protects Free Speech," there are many flaws in his presentation.
First, he hides behind a title of First Amendment Center Scholar. Anyone can get a title, i.e. Nobel Peace Prize recipient, without actually paying one's dues or truly representing that title.
Secondly, what is free speech and what have the activist courts done with this issue? They have boldly curtailed religious speech in many public and almost all government agencies, yet TV and popular music is replete with offensive and vulgar language that is not decent to most people and this has been sanctioned by the courts! How free is that?
Thirdly, why do one's thoughts or prejudices prior to committing a crime make the crime more heinous or hateful? Aren't all murders, rapes, thefts, and abuses based on a person's disrespect and hatred of their fellow man?
Mr. Haynes states, "Once it becomes law the Justice Department will have broader authority to investigate and prosecute violent crimes motivated by prejudice based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of the victim."
Mr. Haynes then goes on to say that we need not fear the arrest of preachers for preaching against certain sins, but we can rest assured that if it is not presently in the bill, the word incite to thoughts of hate will be added to include preachers or anyone else who defends certain passages of the Bible.
Mr. Haynes goes on to say, "In my view, it can't happen here."
If it does, will Mr. Haynes fight for the rights of those accused? Will Mr. Haynes be held accountable for misleading people into believing they don't have to worry about their freedoms slipping away? After all, this law adds extra penalties for one's "thoughts"!
He goes on to say "the crime is more than an attack on an individual victim; it is a hate crime that intimidates an entire group of people. In a free society no one should live in fear because of who they are."
So will every rape of a woman be construed as a "hate crime" because rapists only attack women?
This bill is a further step into tyranny against our Constitution.
Article 1: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press; or the right to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
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