Taking a Bite Outta Hate Crime

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Network Director Brett Bursey was invited to be part of a panel discussion on hate crime legislation at AFFA’s program meeting last night at the Renaissance Hotel in Charleston. Also on the panel were the primary sponsors of South Carolina hate crime bills – Charleston Democrats Sen. Robert Ford and Rep. Seth Whipper – and Elke Kennedy, whose son died in May after being beaten, apparently for being gay. An 18-year-old is being held on murder charges in a Greenville jail.

Kennedy talked about her son and described him as a leader who, had he lived, would have worked to advance civil rights. She is now doing that work on his behalf, speaking out about hate crimes and pushing for just legal protection. See more at Sean’s Last Wish www.seanslastwish.com.

The panel fielded questions about the language and implications of the legislation, both at the national level and in South Carolina. The legislators on the panel urged AFFA’s members and guests to spend the time between now and next session contacting their representatives and educating them on the need to pass hate crimes legislation.

It may be a steep learning curve. Sen. Ford himself seemed to be rather disconnected from gay reality. At one point he claimed he hadn’t known there was discrimination against gay people until the marriage amendment fight last fall. He bet his colleagues didn’t know either. He then asked the audience, “Did y’all know?” They nodded. “Oh,” he said. “I guess you would.”

For more about AFFA and how you can get involved, see its Web site www.affa-sc.org.

Last night AFFA also marked a new era of leadership. After serving three years, president Susie Prueter handed the office to Sue Weller. Congratulations to them both.

AFFA was a most gracious host, feeding us well, keeping us good company and putting us up for the night at the hotel. Thanks for a fine time.

To see pictures of the event, as well as some from the July 1 vigil for Sean Kennedy in Columbia, see the albums in the photo gallery.

On the drive back to Columbia from Charleston this morning, Brett was reading the hotel-issue USA Today. Ironically, in it was this ad. (The ad didn’t fit on my scanner, but you get the gist. Click on thumbnail to enlarge image.)

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USA Today ad, July 11, 2007

The ad reads, in part: “Christian clergymen and people of faith are making a stand today for religious liberty. WE OPPOSE S. 1105, the so-called “hate crimes” bill. Similar laws at the state level and in other countryies have already been used to muzzle the church. Labeling politically incorrect views as “hate” will have a chilling effect on the free speech and religious liberty of our churches and of our members.

Let’s be clear: Violent crimes should always be punished, no matter the victim – but thoughts and opinions should never be. Laws punishing violent crime already exist in all 50 states. So what then will define hate? Simply, preaching Bibical sexual morality. Such laws will ultimately establish, as a matter of legal principle, that any opposition to homosexual or other unbiblical behavior is inherently a form of “hate,” a direct threat to every Amercan citizen’s freedom of conscience.”

The ad was paid for by a group called the High Impact Leadership Coalition. You can check out its Web site www.hilc.net.

The People for the American Way has a brief about the group on its Web site www.pfaw.org.

I wonder if there are South Carolina ties to this group.

Becci

2 thoughts on “Taking a Bite Outta Hate Crime”

  1. Information from HRC on

    Federal Hate Crimes Bill / Matthew Shepard Act

    Background on Senate Hate Crimes Action: 
    Today, Wednesday, July 11th, the Matthew Shepard Act was offered by Senators Kennedy (D-MA) and Smith (R-OR) as an amendment to the FY 08 Department of Defense Authorization bill (DoD). The vote could come as early as this week; however, there is a chance that it will slip until next week.
    The Senate last voted on hate crimes legislation in 2004, when a Kennedy-Smith amendment to the FY 05 Department of Defense Authorization bill passed by a broad, bipartisan margin of 65-33.

    If the amendment is approved, the hate crimes bill will become part of the DoD authorization bill. At this time, the amendment is expected to pass.
    There will be a number of other amendments to the DoD authorization bill that may push consideration of the legislation into next week, when a vote on final passage will occur.

    After consideration of all the amendments, and a vote on final passage, the bill will go to a conference committee to work out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. The House passed the DoD authorization in May.    

    Both the House and Senate will send conferees to the conference committee.
    Since Democrats have control over Congress, they will pick the majority of conferees. This makes it unlikely that hate crimes will be stripped from the bill.

    The conference report, with the hate crimes language, will then have to be approved by the House and Senate before heading to the president’s desk.
    The DoD authorization bill is attracting many amendments dealing with Iraq. The final version of the bill could contain contentious language relating to the war. In the current political climate, a bill that contains such language may result in a veto by the President.

    In the event of a veto, the President will outline what he disagrees with in the bill, then send it back to the Congress. The House and Senate will have to choose which provisions in the DoD bill are retained, and which will be stripped out. 

    Many obstacles remain before this vital legislation becomes law. The DoD authorization bill is currently the most favorable vehicle we have to move this legislation toward the finish line.

    Zealots are calling on Sen. DeMint and Sen. Graham to vote NO on the Matthew Shepard Act.

    Last chance to call your Senators if you want to voice your support of the Matthew Shepard Act (S. 1105).

    Sen. DeMint, call (202) 224-6121
    Sen. Graham, call (202) 224-5972

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