IS THE HATE BILL IN TROUBLE?
By Rev. Ted Pike
21 May 09
In mid-March, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Democrat leaders
would soon strategize to pass the federal hate crimes bill. Their strategy
is now clear.
House Judiciary head John Conyers would introduce hate bill HR 1913
into Judiciary in the last minutes before spring recess April 3. No
one would know of it until Congress reconvened nearly two and a half
weeks later, when Judiciary Democrats would rush it to easy House passage.
Meanwhile, Sen. Edward Kennedy would have introduced his Senate version
just before House victory. Early the following week, Sen. Patrick Leahy’s
Judiciary Democrats would speed it to triumph on the Senate floor.
With no difference between the two bills, conference would not be needed.
A quick final vote by House and Senate Democrats would bring it to
the President’s desk, where it would become law as early as May
14. The hate bill would be a done deal long before a lethargic religious
right could gear up for effective opposition. Hate bill architect,
the Anti-Defamation League, would then be ready to inspire prosecution
of any pastor, talk show host or ordinary citizen whose criticism of
federally protected groups (homosexuals, Muslims, Jews, Latinos, etc.)
might be blamed for inciting a hate crime.
But the above agenda was challenged and slowed. (Read this account
in my article, “Action,
not just Prayer, Can Kill the Hate Bill,” May
18, www.truthtellers.org.) Democrats made a critical blunder by defending
the hate bill’s protection of homosexual pedophiles. Their strategic
error awoke the religious right while re-energizing the protest of
listeners to alternative right-wing media. Many followed Rep. Steve
King’s advice to call the 19 members of the Senate Judiciary
Committee and protest the “Pedophile Protection Act.”
It’s been more than two weeks since the hate bill could have
been passed in the Senate.
Yet the situation remains grave.
In 2005, the vote for hate bill passage was 65-33; about 17 Republicans
voted for it. In 2007, the vote was 60-39; about 11 Republicans voted
for the bill and 2 Democrats voted against. Today, hate bill forces
include 60 Democrats as well as liberal Republicans like Susan Collins
(co-signer), Michael Crapo (longtime supporter), Richard Lugar, Olympia
Snowe, and others. Lovers of freedom have a heavy lift in bucking this
hate bill majority in the Senate! In fact, this time we cannot approach
the numbers necessary to filibuster it.
So why are Judiciary Democrats dawdling? I will repeat what I said
in my latest e-alert: The last thing Sen. Leahy wants is to publicly
open the hate bill issue. He doesn’t want Republican Judiciary
members asking the now-red hot question: “Will you also refuse
to exclude pedophiles from special protection?” Leahy may be
at an impasse. If he bulls the bill through Judiciary without hearings,
he will appear to be short-circuiting legislative due process— proving
to Congress that the hate bill can’t face scrutiny. But if he
waits much longer, he risks losing support from Democrats, increasingly
leery of being branded "pro-pedophile" in the upcoming midterm
elections.
Hate bill advocates have two choices. They can wait and hope the furor
from the conservative right dies down. Or they can boldly amend the
bill in Judiciary to say: “Nothing in this bill may be construed
as protecting, under the class of “sexual orientation,” any
illegal activity.” Then they can trumpet to all wavering politicians
that S. 909 will not protect pedophiles.
Defeating the Amendment
How can we argue against this almost inevitable amendment? Remember,
by creating a special, federally protected pseudo-class called “sexual
orientation,” the hate bill must include all homosexuals. These
include a large percentage who are pedophiles, preying on young boys.
Of course, homosexuals already have equal rights and protection against
any crime along with all Americans. But under S. 909, penalties three
levels higher are recommended against those who victimize homosexuals
out of bias. As a result, homosexuals are automatically considered
roughly three times more important than other crime victims. Federal
and state law enforcement will be triply diligent to aid anyone, including
a pedophile, who claims to be victimized because he is a homosexual.
This heightened attention by the government to the cry of “Hate
crime!” from a homosexual pedophile has nothing to do with whether
he is guilty or innocent. Instead, his status under “sexual orientation” guarantees
initial federal and state delivery of services which a heterosexual
rapist or child molester cannot enjoy.
No one can deny that the hate bill gives at least preliminary special
rights, services and protections to a homosexual pedophile. It also
gives him the privilege of making life a living hell for the person
he accuses. Anyone accused of a hate crime, facing possible years of
imprisonment, must prepare to defend himself with the best lawyer he
can afford and possible extravagant court costs.
To amend the bill saying it won’t give such privileges and protections
is simply a contradiction. Like Sec. 10 of S. 909 (which claims the
hate bill will never threaten free speech), this possible new amendment
would only thinly frost the real threat of the bill.
Hit Democrats Where it Hurts
This amendment could be sensationally effective propaganda if adopted
by the Senate Judiciary Committee immediately before floor action in
the Senate. We can help prevent that by widely discussing and arguing
against it on talk radio, internet, etc.
But right now we must impact politicians not intellectually but on
a primal level: their instinct for political survival. They must know
that with midterm elections coming soon for some, a substantial number
of their constituents unalterably associate the hate bill with protection
of pedophiles. Any Senator who votes for the bill will face their wrath
at election time.
Is the hate bill in trouble? It depends how much trouble YOU make
for it by calling members of the Senate and Senate Judiciary Committee
at 877-851-6437 toll free or 202-225-3121 toll. Tell
them: "If
the Senator votes for the pedophile-protecting hate bill, I and my
friends will never forgive or forget."
Watch the dynamic 10-minute educational videos, Hate
Bill Lies:Exposed! and How
to Kill the Hate Bills, at www.truthtellers.org which
explains how the hate bill, S.909, ends freedom.
Please tell the offices of members of Congress to watch it! Also
at www.truthtellers.org, watch our gripping 82-minute documentary Hate
Laws: Making Criminals of Christians.
Let the Anti-Defamation League teach you how they have saddled 45 states with
hate laws capable of persecuting Christians, and spearhead attempts to pass the
federal hate crimes bill: http://www.adl.org/99hatecrime/intro.asp.
TALK SHOW HOSTS: Interview Rev. Ted Pike on this subject. Call
(503) 631-3808.
National Prayer Network, P.O. Box 828, Clackamas,
OR 97015
