House Passes Hate Crimes Legislation; Right Passes BS

For people who have the advantage of not being crazy, this will come as good news.

The Caucus, New York Times:

The House voted Thursday to expand the definition of violent federal hate crimes to cover those committed because of a victim's gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

Democrats and advocates hailed the vote of 281 to 146, which put the measure on the brink of becoming law, as the culmination of a long push to curb violent expressions of bias such as the murder in 1998 of Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming college student.

"Left unchecked crimes of this kind threatens to ruin the very fabric of America," said Representative Susan Davis, Democrat of California.

We'll leave aside the fact that voting against a defense appropriations bill with troops in the field used to be the worst thing ever. Let's just say it "emboldens our enemies." What's important is that passing this defense bill is now the worst thing ever. Mostly because it's big gummint playing Big Brother.

"All violent crimes should be prosecuted vigorously, no matter what the circumstance. The Democrats' 'thought crimes' legislation, however, places a higher value on some lives than others," said minority leader John Boehner. "Republicans believe that all lives are created equal, and should be defended with equal vigilance."

The religious right is playing the same card. "For the first time in American history we are criminalizing thought," Bryan Fischer, director of issues analysis for the American Family Association, said. "Thomas Jefferson said the reach of legislation should extend to actions only and not to opinions -- and now we are punishing people not just for what they did, but what they were thinking when they did it."

You know what's weird? We do that all the time. In fact, we did it during Jefferson's time. The difference between first and second degree murder comes from the perpetrator's thoughts. Ditto any crimes determined by intent. By Boehner's and Fischer's reasoning, having a harsher punishment for premeditated murder constitutes a "thought crime." That neither would ever actually make that argument exposes this reasoning for the bullshit it really is. The bill helps gay people and they're against helping gay people -- no matter what form that help takes. They just won't come out and tell the truth.

In related news, President Obama renewed his vow to repeal "don't ask, don't tell." Somewhere, a narrowminded bigot has died in a fit of apoplexy at the news.