Hate Crimes / HR-1913
I am departing from my normal article format to address an urgent issue. We find ourselves in a crisis where the bugle must be played and the troops alerted. For those who are regulars to my blog and emails, please know I will be returning to my normal format next week.
I have, for your consideration, the following:
My opinion is Coke is just about the best soda pop anyone can ever sip from an ice cold, frosted glass mug. By no means is this a hate crime against Pepsi. My opinion is a freshly made Whopper is one of the best fast food burgers anyone could ever eat. This is not to imply any form of a hate crime or hateful speech against a Big Mac.
I am confident very few people would categorize my positive opinion for one product as hateful speech or hateful against another product, as I am clearly just stating my opinion.
However, what if I took my opinion one step further?
For the record, I absolutely abhor Pepsi and will generally choose to drink water if dining in a Pepsi restaurant. Is this still my opinion or have I slipped into hateful speech? Am I guilty of a hate crime?
What if I absolutely, flat out, unequivocally refuse to purchase Pepsi at the grocery store? Since my money pays the grocery bill, what if I refuse to have Pepsi in my house? Am I a hate crime offender?
Supposedly, in America, we have beverage freedom. We are able to drink a legal beverage of our own choice, drink it on our own terms, and express our preference in our purchases. As long as we do not limit another American’s choice or selection, we have the freedom to express our opinion.
Does this apply to our faith?
Supposedly, in America, we have religious freedom. We are able to seek God on our own terms, pray on our own terms, and express our preference in our lifestyles. As long as we do not limit another American’s choice or selection, we have the freedom to express our opinion.
Do we?
The founding fathers of our country wrote of their vision where we have the freedom to display our faith in our own way as long as it does not intrude on another American’s right to express their faith in their way.
We are referring to expressing mere opinions here and nothing more.
Some individuals in the United States want their opinions protected by law. Unbelievably, Congress is rolling over under the pressure of these individuals. On Thursday, April 29, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives of United States of America, a group of individuals whom are supposedly committed to defending, upholding, and supporting the United States Constitution, voted and approved the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, HR-1913.
There are laws already in place protecting persons who identify themselves as homosexual, transgendered, and even forms of gender/sexual orientation yet to be defined. They are the same laws protecting all of us from physical or verbal attacks of a violent nature.
The HR-1913 bill establishes a layer of protection for a group of individuals above, and superior to, those not part of the group. The bill is the federal government of the United States of America taking an official, legal stance that any form of opposition, including opinions, comments, and speech, against homosexual practice, transgenderism, and any other form of sexual/gender orientation, is defined as hatred and bigotry of the same form as racism, and may be liable for prosecution.
This blog, where I exercise my freedom of speech to express my opinion, may land me in front of a judge and eventually in prison if I happened to mention I disagree with someone who likes Pepsi. If the person who likes Pepsi happens to identify with the sexual or gender orientation protected by HR-1913, my opinion – though completely unrelated to any form of hate or reference to sexual preference, gender, or orientation - may be construed as a hate crime.
Please allow me to remind you of the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America was adopted on December 15, 1791, and states:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. “
My religion is my opinion of how I practice my relationship with God. My speech is my opinion of my beliefs and my expression of life. These are both protected rights under the First Amendment. These are both at jeopardy by HR-1913.
What can you do?
The HR-1913 bill passed the House of Representatives and is up for vote in the Senate. I encourage you to contact your senators and express your opinion while you still have the right to express it.
For your convenience, I am including two links to assist you in contacting your senators.
For a direct link to the government: http://www.senate.gov/reference/common/faq/How_to_contact_senators.htm
For a link through an advocacy group: http://www.rallycongress.com/pointofview/1795/oppose-hate-crimes-legislation/
Your regularly scheduled blog articels and emails will return next week, barring my arrest and imprisonment for stating my opinions. (Please join my wife and children in rebuking this statement.)
Do you know someone who might enjoy this blog or one of my eStories or Books? Please share this blog or my website with them. Thanks!
Glenn Sasscer
www.glennsasscer.com
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