by Cathie Adams, President, cathieadams@texaseagle.org
Legislative Advertising, Texas Eagle Forum, Cathie Adams, P.O. Box 795354, Dallas, TX 75379.

Hate Crimes Bill Slinks Out of Senate Committee

2-8-01

The Senate Criminal Justice Committee on Wednesday voted 5-1 in favor of the James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Act, setting the stage for the bill to be debated on the Senate floor. A similar bill died in the same committee in 1999, but found a much more sympathetic audience this year with four new members sitting on the committee. The bill mandates tougher punishments for those who commit a crime against another individual for reasons of "bias or prejudice." The bill then goes on to define which categories of bias and prejudice are deserving of special censure. The list includes crimes committed against another based on that person's "race, color, disability, religion, national origin or ancestry, or sexual orientation."

In effect, the bill affords special protections to certain individuals based on their possession of politically favored characteristics. The Rev. Louis Sheldon has noted that the word "hate" is defined under hate crimes law to mean, "Selected actions-including speech-by selected aggressors against selected victims, left to the discretion of the …government." All crimes are abhorrent and unjustifiable, and must be punished to the fullest extent possible under a body of law that applies equally to all citizens. The passage of a hate crimes law would elevate the importance of some victims over others based solely on their possession of certain "politically correct" attributes. This capricious favoritism mandated by hate crimes laws is itself a crime against the fundamental principle of equality before the law, and violates the basic rule of fairness that Americans expect their courts to follow.

Speaking on behalf of Texas Eagle Forum, Young Conservatives of Texas State Vice Chairman Marc Levin stated, "We abhor and condemn all crimes, including of course those motivated by bigotry. However, we believe that the criminal justice system should not afford certain groups special protection and then deny it to others. Placing a different value on people's lives based on their race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution." In seeking to protect specific groups of people from hate, the legislature is embarking on a journey of Orwellian proportions. If the hate crimes law is enacted, it is only a matter of time before our government, intent on eliminating "root causes" and "criminal" motivations, de-links the prosecution of opinions from the prosecution of actions, and could usher in the era of the politically correct thought-police.

***ACTION ITEM***

Texas Eagle Forum needs your help to make sure that the hate crimes bill does not receive approval in the Texas Senate. Under Senate rules, 21 members must agree to hear a bill before it can be brought up on the Senate floor. Please call your Senator and urge him to vote against consideration of HB 87 (the hate crimes bill).

If you are unaware of who your Senator is, click here:

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/fyi/address.htm

The number to reach the Capitol Switchboard is: (512) 463-4630.