FBI: RISING HATE LAW GESTAPO?
By Harmony Grant
22 Sep 08
A federal hate bill would give complete "police state" powers
to big government to swoop down to investigate and prosecute "hate-motivated" crime. But
liberal activists hardly need to wait for such legislation. Increasingly,
the government uses the vagaries of civil rights laws and the FBI to
leap over established barriers to federal intervention in state law
enforcement.
Founding father James Madison warned that, if the federal government can spend
money indefinitely for “the general welfare,” then its powers will “subvert
the very foundation, the very nature of the limited government established by
the people of America .” The Constitution and legal precedent have limited
the federal government from meddling in states’ law enforcement, except
in small numbers of instances.
Today, all it seems to take is a request from a local police or government agency
or an offended homosexual screaming, "Hate crime!" to bring the feds
running. And since September 11, domestic hate crimes are often linked with that
inflammatory one-word excuse for abuse of government power—“terrorism.” The FBI’s
website proclaims, “Investigating hate crime is the number one priority
of our Civil Rights Program. Why? Not only because hate crime has a devastating
impact on families and communities, but also because groups that preach hatred
and intolerance plant the seeds of terrorism here in our country.” Wow,
the seeds of terrorism. This fire-breathing rhetoric is used to justify federal
involvement in crimes that should be dealt with by local authorities.
The FBI instead sweeps in to investigate minor vandalism crimes, proclaiming
that America ’s epidemic of hate must be stopped before it rips our nation
apart.
Here are some examples. The FBI is investigating an
Idaho incident where a couple of thugs allegedly punched a young black girl
after egging her parents’ car and shouting harassment outside her home.
The feds got involved when a swastika
was scribbled on the van of a predominantly black church in Indiana . Local
news described the incident with these throat-grabbing words, “Hate has
the potential to destroy a community.” (The story admits the vandalism
might have been the work of a bored teen. The church’s pastor said he lived
in that town for 23 years and never saw this kind of activity. But federal agents
got involved and it’s being investigated as a hate crime.) FBI might also
join prosecution of a
Texas “hate crime” where hate graffiti was scribbled on a car
with a Sharpie marker. (Its black owner said, “I have actually been in
Nashville for 16 years…I have never seen anything like this.” Despite
this, he says, “It takes you to the core. It just hits you right in the
core.”) A California man was recently sentenced to six and a half years
in prison for “a series of race-motivated threats” against a black
man and his family. Again, this brought in the FBI. Acting Assistant Attorney
General for the Civil Rights Division Grace
Chung Becker said, "Hate and intolerance tear at the very fabric of
our great nation --- a fabric that is strengthened by its diversity of races,
religions and national origins."
Last year, House majority leader Steny Hoyer repeated
the tear-the-fabric metaphor during debate of the expanded federal “anti-hate” bill.
He said “brutal hate crimes motivated by race, religion, national origin,
gender, sexual orientation and identity or disability not only injure individual
victims, but also terrorize entire segments of our population and tear at our
nation's social fabric." Hate crime laws say bias against certain groups
is so bad—and those groups need such special protection—that we need
extra laws and penalties against those beliefs; fragile minority communities
are at risk from the statement made by bias-motivated crimes.
Of course, any crime, regardless of motive, hurts communities. But, while the
expression of hate can devastate individuals, the danger to society from “anti-hate” laws
is far, far greater.
Freedom of speech and ideas provide access to the very truths and free protest
that combat hatred. Also, the expansion of federal power in law enforcement poses
a far greater threat than even the most unpleasant rash of hateful graffiti.
The real threat of hate crime laws is that they are actually thought crime laws—a
terrifying prelude to an Orwellian society that cracks down on unapproved beliefs. “Hate” and “intolerance” are
feelings that rise from convictions. The next obvious step is to criminalize
those convictions, and statements about them, even when they aren’t connected
to an act of violence or a crime. Since the federal government has already assumed
tremendous power to act against hate crimes, it won’t just be one or two
states prosecuting free expression of bias. Federal prosecution of public “hate” will
shatter America ’s remaining freedoms.
Once that happens, America is dead. Freedom made our nation great and unique.
When we lose freedom, we lose America .
Harmony Grant writes and edits for National Prayer Network, a Christian/conservative
watchdog group.
Let the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith teach you how they
have saddled 45 states with hate laws capable of persecuting Christians: http://www.adl.org/99hatecrime/intro.asp.
Learn how ADL took away free speech in Canada and wants to steal
it now in the U.S. Congress. Watch Rev. Ted Pike's Hate
Laws: Making Criminals of Christians at video.google.com. Purchase
this gripping documentary to show at church. Order online at www.truthtellers.org for
$24.90, DVD or VHS, by calling 503-853-3688, or at the address below.
TALK SHOW HOSTS: Interview Rev. Ted Pike on this
topic. Call (503) 631-3808.
National Prayer Network, P.O. Box 828, Clackamas,
OR 97015
