Re: OT:Thanksgiving

On Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:32:37 -0600, "Judson McClendon"
<judmc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

But as I've said before, a type of law being passed these days I view to be
highly dangerous: the so called "hate crime laws". They are tantamount to
making how you feel about something become illegal, and that is a Very Bad
Thing. Two seminal events are associated with increased support for this type
of law here in the U.S., and it shows unclear thinking. One was when a male
homosexual was tied to a fence, tortured and srarved to death, and the other
was when a black man was tied by a chain to the back of a pickup truck and
drug to death. How anyone could commit such unthinkable crimes is beyond me,
and either crime warrants capital punishment, if anything does. But, what
difference does it make *why* someone did such a thing? Would it be somehow
"less bad" if it was done for money or jealousy, rather than bigotry? I think
not. And the potential bad consequences of such laws is staggering. Remember
the Japanese "Thought Police"? Same thing. A crime should be what you do, not
what you think, or how you feel. Will it become a crime to be in a bad mood,
or just obnoxious? The potential is there, and history has serious precedent,
even in current memory. Consider http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came

I couldn't agree more. Along with this thought-police trend, we have
a trend to define everybody and everything as protected - but not
because we are people - but because we each belong to one minority or
another. Someone who has road rage (or some other insanity) and
starts shooting up passersby isn't guilty of hate crimes - but his
victims are just as dead. Stop trying people on how they think -
try them on what they do.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Repeal Civil Rights Laws?
    ... correct the descrimination that existed when these laws were passed. ... No need for hate crime laws or any laws prohibiting hate speech. ... Can you make a case that prosecution under these laws has resulted ...
    (soc.retirement)
  • Re: Repeal Civil Rights Laws?
    ... correct the descrimination that existed when these laws were passed. ... No need for hate crime laws or any laws prohibiting hate speech. ... Can you make a case that prosecution under these laws has resulted ...
    (soc.retirement)
  • Re: Repeal Civil Rights Laws?
    ... correct the descrimination that existed when these laws were passed. ... No need for hate crime laws or any laws prohibiting hate speech. ... Can you make a case that prosecution under these laws has resulted ...
    (soc.retirement)
  • Re: Repeal Civil Rights Laws?
    ... correct the descrimination that existed when these laws were passed. ... No need for hate crime laws or any laws prohibiting hate speech. ... Can you make a case that prosecution under these laws has resulted ...
    (soc.retirement)
  • Re: Repeal Civil Rights Laws?
    ... correct the descrimination that existed when these laws were passed. ... No need for hate crime laws or any laws prohibiting hate speech. ... Can you make a case that prosecution under these laws has resulted ...
    (soc.retirement)