You’ll hear it all day today, from the morons, in light of President Obama’s historic signing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act today: I don’t know why the queers need their own special protection under the law, blah, blah, blah, there are already laws on the books to cover that, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
It’s issues like this that really bring out the stupid. So let’s examine a few truths regarding this landmark legislation.
#1. American justice traditionally factors intent in its consideration regarding violent crime. That’s why you have “manslaughter” and varying degrees of murder. Why shouldn’t “because he hated homosexuals” be considered as a degree of intent?
#2. Violent crime against a homosexual is not often merely perpetrated against an individual. It is often perperated to send a message, to, oh, what’s the word…TERRORIZE. That’s right, kids. “Hate crimes” can be boiled down to its own little version of parochial terrorism. As I recall, the federal government is kind of interested in that kind of thing.
#3. Youse guys do understand that race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, and sex have been covered under hate crimes legislation since 1994. Right?
Not that any of these sound points will make a difference to someone who’s rabidly against this legislation. So, let’s add a fourth talking point just to be safe.
#4. What are you, soft on crime?
Definitely