Woman Opposes Jewish Thought Crime Legislation

Senate Committee Passes ‘Thought Crimes’ Bill, Group Says 107
U.S. Newswire
27 Jul 11:42

Concerned Women for America: Senate Judiciary Committee
Passes ‘Thought Crimes’ Bill
To: National Desk
Contact: Rebbeca L. Riggs of Concerned Women for America,
202-488-7000

WASHINGTON, July 27 /U.S. Newswire/ — “Concerned Women for
America deplores any act of violence against innocent victims,
including homosexuals, but we strongly oppose as unjust and
dangerous the entire concept of ‘hate crimes’ legislation,” said
CWA’s Culture and Family Institute Director Robert Knight. “We
believe that a grandmother walking down the street should have
at least as much protection under the law as a homosexual who is
leaving a ‘gay’ bar.”

Knight’s comments come in response to the Senate Judiciary
Committee’s 12-7 vote to approve S. 625, the Local Law
Enforcement Enhancement Act, which awaits a final vote before
the whole Senate. “Although well-intentioned, ‘hate-crime’ laws
such as S. 625 are seriously flawed,” Knight said. “They pave
the way for unequal treatment under the law as well as the
un-American concept of ‘thought crime,’ in which someone’s
beliefs or thoughts are made illegal.”

Such laws:
– Violate the concept of equal protection under the law by
designating special classes of victims, who get a higher level
of government protection.

– Politicize criminal law, leading to pressure on police and
prosecutors to devote more of their limited resources to some
cases at the expense of other crime victims’ cases.

– Add nothing to the prosecution of real crimes of violence,
vandalism, or property destruction, which are already covered by
statutes in every state.

– Vastly expand the power and jurisdiction of the federal
government to intervene in local law-enforcement matters, once
a crime is called a “hate crime.”

– Have a chilling effect on free speech by making unpopular
ideas a basis for harsher treatment in criminal proceedings.
More than half of the so-called “hate crimes” in the last U.S.
Justice Department report were categorized as “intimidation” or
“simple assault,” which do not necessarily involve anything more
than words. In terms of the proposed national hate crimes bill,
this makes name-calling literally a federal case.

“There is no evidence that victims of ‘hate crimes’ are
receiving any less attention than victims of other crimes,”
Knight said. “The solution to ‘hate crimes’ is to enforce the
law impartially and firmly. Every citizen deserves equal
protection under the law. Senators need to be told this bill
threatens the justice of our legal system.”

KEYWORDS:

CRIME, CIVIL RIGHTS, POLICY

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/U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
07/27 11:42

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