Obama on Hate Crimes Legislation Signing: “the bells of freedom ring out a little louder”

Matthew Shephard was killed in a heinous act, because he was gay. His killers were both sentenced to two consecutive life sentences.
James Byrd was killed in a heinous act because he was black. His killers were given the death penalty and a life sentence.
Jamal White, a promising high school football player, was killed in a senseless shooting as he walked down the street in his neighborhood. He refused to flash a gang symbol to a car that drove by.
Derrion Albert was beaten to death in a heinous act because he was smart. His death put Chicago on track to surpass the number of students killed at school last year – 30.
A 15-year old girl was gang raped and beaten for 2.5 hours outside her school near San Francisco last weekend. She was a target of opportunity.
Two of these are considered “hate crimes”. All of them put fear into the people in the community. All of them were senseless and horrifying. The bells of freedom are not ringing out a little louder today.

BTW, this stupid bill of this stupid man obama also pays the Taliban. Yes, Obama is tossing taxpayer money at terrorists again.

I think it’s a good think to make it clear to everybody it is wrong to be beating on anybody because they’re gay, or they’re jewish, or they’re a cross dresser or whatever . ..
In fact make it LOUD and clear cause there are some pretty thick skulls out there to penetrate.

“Noticed Obama hasn’t mentioned nil about HBO’s urinating on picture of Jesus Christ and calling it ‘fun’. In Obama’s world Christians ‘need not apply’.”
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Nonsense. Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists, native american believers – all welcome under this Presidency. Wish all of America felt the same.

The “bells of freedom” do not ring for Christians when HBO is urinating on a picture of Jesus Christ and calling it entertainment. This country has selective favorites and only grudgingly “tolerate” Christians – like they tolerated Miss California Carrie Prajean.

Thought! it really is a crime bill!

So, what’s next? Tolerance and laws making it ok for child molestation, beastiality, polygomay, murder? Seriously..Why not, its not really hurting me? As long as I live in my own little bubble and am not impacted, right? Do your own thing. Those who feel and do those types of things honestly feel that they are natural and acceptable or they wouldn’t do them. Shouldn’t we be accepting and tolerant of them and their feelings as well? They love kids or animals or multiple wives. How can we deny them their feelings or discriminate against them? We can’t pick and choose who we are or how we feel (or so I’m told). Everyone should be accepting of everything all of the time. That’s what America is all about, right? Everything is subjective to your own personal feelings. This bill leads me to believe that O’Bama feels that being gay is natural and that morals are, in fact, subjective. Also, if I so happen to have a physical altercation now with a “gay” person, then its now a federal offense? C’mon!

“Will anyone ever get history correct. Matthew Shepard was killed as a result of a robbery. The alleged “hate-crime” is a myth. But that won’t stop the gay agenda from twisting the truth.”
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During the trial, Chastity Pasley and Kristen Price (the respective girlfriends of McKinney and Henderson at the time of the event) testified that Henderson and McKinney both plotted beforehand to rob a gay man. McKinney and Henderson then went to the Fireside Lounge and selected Shepard as their target. McKinney alleged that Shepard asked them for a ride home. After befriending him, they took him to a remote area of Laramie where they robbed him (what they got was $20 and a pair of shoes), beat him severely, and tied him to a fence with a rope from McKinney’s truck while Shepard begged for his life. The two pistol whipping and his smashed skull.
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So, targeted as a gay man for robbery, and then beaten to death.
I’m glad this legislation passed. It is intended to let it be known, it is NOT RIGHT to pick on and beat people because they are gay, or jewish or Pakistani or whatever.
All you haters ought to think twice. And friends of haters ought to pay attention as well.

I’m glad this legislation passed. It is intended to let it be known, it is NOT RIGHT to pick on and beat people because they are gay, or jewish or Pakistani or whatever.
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Who is it ok to pick on and beat?

I’m glad this legislation passed. It is “intended to let it be known, it is NOT RIGHT to pick on and beat people because they are gay, or jewish or Pakistani or whatever.
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Who is it ok to pick on and beat?”
So do you think cross burning on someone’s lawn should be treated as a simple act of vandalism?
How about swastikas over a synagogue?
Just vandalism right?

“Los Angeles police say two Jewish men in their 30s were shot in the legs as they were about to enter a synagogue in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles Thursday morning. A man described as an African-American with a handgun entered the Adat Yeshurun Valley Sephardic synagogue at about 6:20 a.m. Thursday and opened fire. The victims were taken to a hospital in stable condition.
Police are investigating the shooting as a hate crime. The Los Angeles Times says police arrested a man near the synagogue, but the sources say they don’t believe he was the gunman.”
Hate crimes don’t exist….at least that’s what right wingers who hate minorities tell me.

Ryan C.: “So do you think cross burning on someone’s lawn should be treated as a simple act of vandalism?
How about swastikas over a synagogue?
Just vandalism right?”
Ryan – you just proved our point. The new bill adds more groups of people or acts fall under the Hate Crime Law. He singled out particular groups to offer protection to, instead of making all crimes hate crimes.
And yes, those are examples of vandalism. As for “Hate crimes don’t exist….at least that’s what right wingers who hate minorities tell me.”, what kind of people are you hanging out with? I am a minority (Puerto Rican)and what you would probably call a right-winger and I do believe hate crimes exist but I think MOST crimes are a form of hate and should be treated as such

Can anyone explain how this law will stop some creep from punching someone because they’re gay? We have a death penalty and it doesn’t deter people from murder. Do you really think someone who commits assault for “hate” reasons really cares about the stigma or extra years for a hate crime? If anything, this protected class status is generate MORE hostility toward those groups.
“All animals are equal. But some are more equal than others.”
It sounds like, at best, a lot of posturing for Obama’s supporters or, at worst, a tool to be abused in order to stifle legitimate debate.

“The point is as a society we have decided that violence against someone because of their race, religion, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation is completely unacceptable and will be punished severely.”
No, society didn’t decide. Congress did. Something like Prop 8 is society deciding something.

Explain to me how this is fair.
Posted by: Mike | Oct 29, 2009 3:41:06 PM
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Read the comments immediately below. A study of a little history might help as well.

Mormons are a minority and many people are prejudice against them
Posted by: Mike
I guess maybe if Mormons were being murdered and beat to death for being Mormon, you might have a point

So when I get beaten up in Provincetown for being straight or beaten up in Philadelphia for being white I can count on this legislation to provide extra years for my attackers right? Or will it not apply to me?

“First of all, it’s important to attack the mindset that somehow thinks it’s okay to beat up someone because they’re gay, or they’re jewish, or they’re pakistani . .. etc.”
OMG, NO ONE IS SAYING IT’S OK! I’m saying that assault has never been LEGAL no matter who was assaulted.

“First of all, it’s important to attack the mindset that somehow thinks it’s okay to beat up someone because they’re gay, or they’re jewish, or they’re pakistani . .. etc.”
OMG, NO ONE IS SAYING IT’S OK!
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Unfortunately, many people have thought exactly that . . . that it’s somehow okay to beat up somebody because they’re gay, or jewish, or hispanic, or whatever . . .
This legislation confronts that mindset straight on. It is not okay – and it is not okay to smear swastikas on jewish synagogue, nor put up burning crosses on people’s lawns, etc.

Obama said that “the bells of freedom ring out a little louder,”….. He is talking out both sides of his mouth. What tripe, this is not freedom Folks no matter how you look at it.