Legislation to create a new category of crime for actions said to be motivated by prejudice based on “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” won't get a vote in the U.S. Senate before September. Senators will recess from Aug. 6 through Sept. 3.
Democrats have attached an amendment to a Defense spending bill that would create federally protected “class status” for homosexuals, bisexuals, transvestites, “transgender” and “transsexual” people. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., has pulled the bill off the floor.
"By protecting some victims of violent crime (such as homosexuals) more than other victims of equally violent crimes, this amendment would change our time-honored understanding of 'Equal Justice for All' to 'Special Justice for Some,' " Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, wrote in a note to supporters. "It would set us on a slippery slope that could ultimately jeopardize free speech rights, especially those of religious leaders."
Recently, Perkins joined Focus on the Family's Dr. Bill Maier and Tom Minnery to discuss hate crimes on the daily radio broadcast.
Ashley Horne, federal policy analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said hate crimes legislation likely will return to the Senate floor.
"People need to continue to call their senators and ask them to oppose hate-crimes legislation like S. 1105."
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Hate-crimes legislation doesn't go far enough, according to CitizenLink Managing Editor Stuart Shepard. In his Stoplight video commentary, he suggests how a few additional laws could fill out the picture.
TAKE ACTION
Urge your senators to oppose hate-crimes legislation. If you are a CitizenLink Daily Update subscriber, click on the blue "Take Action" button in the e-mail. Otherwise, click on this link.
