We Don't Need Hate Crime Legislation

Is this really the kind of change you want? President Obama believes you need this.

Hate begets hate! There are already laws on the books that, when enforced, would take care of prosecuting and punishing people who commit crimes (violent or otherwise) against other people. Why is it necessary to put a specific label on those crimes, such as hate, when those crimes happen to be perpetrated against all groups of people. It shouldn't matter whether it is against a white man or white woman, black man or black woman, the Irish, Jew, old person, young person, etc. Respect for life is what should rule. All life has value and all human life should be treated equal.

I say, adding the "hate" element only adds fuel to the fire. As it stands now, if one doesn't follow along in the belief of the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender/transsexual (LGBT) agenda (called civil rights by President Obama), then one is guilty of hate! President Obama is dead wrong and his position is an insult to all that Martin Luther King fought for--true civil rights. What hate crime law truly should be called is an infringement on freedom of speech and freedom of thought.

We are headed down a very dark path as Americans if we allow our government to punish us for our thinking and expression of speech. It has become a crime to express our opinion, our feelings as to whether or not we like, support, or dislike how another person believes. If one believes that a particular act is offensive to them, they should be able to state that fact without being punished. Government cannot effectively legislate "hate" anymore than they can stop people from shooting people by legislating the banning of guns. Those individuals who don't go by the rules will have their guns and will still kill people. You cannot legislate morality of thought. You can only legislate morality of action.