The so-called "hate crimes" legislation took a new form yesterday when Senators Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) attached the controversial amendment to a Defense Reauthorization bill. This move will could push senators to vote on the issue as early as this week. You need to contact your senators right away and tell them to oppose the "hate crimes" amendment.
CONTACT Your Senators at www.senate.gov/
Hate crimes laws are actually "thought crimes" laws that violate the right to freedom of speech and of conscience and subject individuals to scrutiny of their beliefs rather than focusing on a person's criminal actions. Hate crimes laws will have a chilling effect on people who have moral or religious objections to homosexual behavior. Evidence of a person's beliefs will be used against any individuals who are even suspected of committing a crime.
In a debate on a similar bill that passed the House in May, Rep. Artur Davis, who supported the bill, admitted that under this law a minister could be charged with the crime of incitement if the minister preached that homosexuality is a serious sin and a person in the congregation left church and committed a crime against a homosexual.
[taken from a Liberty Counsel e-mail]
Oregon's Senators' phone numbers can be found at the bottom of the page.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment