Free speech about to be squashed in America . . .

This article blew me away. Hate Bill Passes in the House:

[T]he federal hate crimes bill, HR 1913, passed last week in the House of Representatives by a vote of 249 to 175. . . .

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R, NC) said HR 1913 will open a new category of “thought crimes” in America, moving us “down a slippery slope” to loss of freedom. She said such has happened under hate laws in Canada and Europe. . . .

Rep. Roy Blount (R, MO) echoed Foxx’s admonition that hate laws have taken away free speech in Canada and Europe.

Rep. Steve King (R, IA) repeated the warning of his amendment in Judiciary last week, saying pedophiles and many other deviants will obtain special rights and protection under HR 1913.

Rep. Mary Fallin (R, OK) referenced loss of free speech in Canada and Great Britain but also how the “Philly 11″ Christians were persecuted under Pennsylvania’s hate law. . . .

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R, TX) charged HR 1913 will divide America into groups of more favored versus less. He again cited USC Title 18, Section 2a, the foundation of HR 1913, which says anyone who through speech “induces” commission of a violent hate crime “will be tried as a principal” alongside the active offender. He said there is no “epidemic” of hate in America.

Rep. King cited the American Psychiatric Association which lists 547 different kinds of paraphilia, or sexual deviancies. King said all of these would merit special federal protection under the class “sexual orientation” enshrined in HR 1913.

Rep. Foxx testified, “This bill itself will spread fear and intimidation.” She was referring primarily to Christian/conservative critics of homosexuality, Islam, illegal immigrants, etc. Such critics from the pulpit or airwaves would be increasingly silenced under the hate law’s chill on free speech.

Rep. Hastings (D, FL), a proponent of the hate bill, brazenly agreed that HR 1913 would give a galaxy of sexual perverts special protection. He said that under hate bill protection they will not “live in fear because of who they are.”

One particularly striking argument was made by Rep. Randy Forbes (R, VA). He said if Miss California had slapped the homosexual judge who derided her on the stage (and across the internet) under HR 1913 she could be indicted as a “violent hate criminal,” facing a possible 10 years in prison. But, Forbes said, if the homosexual judge had slapped her, she would have had no special protection under HR 1913. His act would have been simple assault, a misdemeanor.

The testimony of Rep. Todd Akins (R, MO) was also unique. He said HR 1913 would actually increase hate in America. He said the American people, including young people, recognizing that they are now second-class citizens, with homosexuals receiving special federal rights, can only resent (hate?) those who have rights and privileges above them. He also said that with the legal system already backed up, the federal hate law will create havoc within our legal system, requiring judges to also become “psychologists,” divining motives of offenders. . . .

Democrat testimony concluded with a special entry, followed by CSPAN camera, of Rep. Barney Frank (D, MA). He pooh-poohed the arrest of the Philly 11 Christians in 2004, saying that, although it was unjust, Republicans were irresponsible in not pointing out that the Christians were acquitted. Fortunately, Rep. Gohmert had the last word, indicating that the very fact that persons can and have been arrested for speech under state laws has a chilling effect on free speech.

Gohmert tried to send the hate bill back to Judiciary for amendments but was overridden.

It is now time for all who love freedom to turn their full attention to defeat of the hate bill in the Senate, where Sen. Edward Kennedy just yesterday introduced his federal hate bill, S. 909, which is certain to be moving rapidly to a vote.

Call 1-877-851-6437 toll free or 1-202-225-3121 toll. Names of Senate Judiciary members are posted here at www.truthtellers.org.

I think Rep. Hastings' comments deserve special attention--as does the Rev. Ted Pike who wrote this article.

Pike comments,

[W]hen Rep. Alcee Hastings defiantly proclaimed on the floor of the House last week that not only pedophilia but all of the other 546 sexual deviancies, or paraphilias, listed by the American Psychiatric Association would be specially protected under the hate bill, I knew the Lord had delivered the hate bill forces into our hands. We had been given an issue capable of defeating the hate bill where other arguments would fail. Every American, whether conservative or liberal, religious or non-religious, has a visceral disgust at those who rape little boys and girls.

Within hours of Hastings' verbal indiscretion, I increased my media warnings that the hate bill was a pedophile-protecting bill! The next day, our new video, making visual and audible Hastings' declaration, was posted at www.truthtellers.org.

Here's the video. It really is amazing:



People--let's be honest: virtually all men--who engage in pedophilia, exhibitionism, voyeurism, etc.,are all to become members of the protected class. (See Hastings' comments, beginning at 6:03, but the specific verbiage begins at 6:22 into the video.) Amazing!

And now, as Rep. King noted, a mother--or any woman--who slaps such a pervert, or "attacks" him with her purse will be subject to being charged with a federal hate crime, while the pervert himself might be prosecuted for a misdemeanor.

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Fascinating--and distressing--additional commentaries from a pro-hate crime perspective:

From the Anti-Defamation League--why the ADL pushed for hate-crime legislation in the first place. (I should confess: I tend to "buy" their reasoning. And yet. And yet. . . .)

And from someone who explains this (pro-hate crime legislation) reasoning in additional detail.

And then, finally, an argument against this kind of legislation. Talk about slippery slopes!