HATE CRIMES LEGISLATION

Here is some information from the Coalition For A Conservative Majority.

Richard

The Hate Crimes Bill (S909) has passed the US House and is on its way to the Senate now. Time is of the essence with this bill. Please act and pass this email to all concerned Americans you know across the nation…. let’s make our voices heard and stop this infringement on free speech and thought. Some summary information:

Senate bill S. 909- the so called “Hate Crimes” bill. This bill criminalizes speech against groups already identified and adds sexual orientation to the list. To quote Janet Porter in World Net Daily: “When combined with existing law, this bill could have a very chilling effect on free speech. A pastor could be charged with inciting a hate crime for the content of his sermon. An individual could be charged with one for simply resisting the actions or advances of a homosexual or lesbian.” She continues in that article: “I've written extensively about how this bill would criminalize Christianity and turn those who disagree with the homosexual agenda into felons, but criminalizing Christianity is just the beginning of what this bill would do. It would also elevate pedophiles as a special protected class – since the term "sexual orientation," which has been added to the "hate crimes" legislation, includes them in the American Psychiatric Association's definition of various "sexual orientations" “

S 909 denies freedom of speech and constitutes thought control as we are denied the right to express our opinions without risking fines or arrest. The law would deny us our 14th Amendment right of equal protection under law as it would identify a special “preferred” class of victim with more rights than the average citizen would have as victim of a similar crime. Federal funds would be proffered to local law enforcement encouraging them to prosecute crimes against this preferred class over the average citizen.

While the bill doesn’t actually mention the term “pedophile”, part of the danger of the bill is that it seems to make those who are pedophiles become part of a protected class covered under the terms "sexual orientation" and "gender identity."

Here is a brief news video explaining the need to contact the Senate Judiciary Committee today: http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=13335492&ch=4226716&src=news

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO STOP THIS?

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FIRST:

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The bill is currently in the Senate Judiciary Committee and the members of that committee should hear from you ASAP. They’ve already been flooded with support from liberal coalitions… let’s double their efforts with our voices. Email addresses are difficult to find, as they are making it harder to be contacted. Each website has a way to send them a message electronically… it is worth the effort to contact them this way, even if it takes a few more minutes. See below for a sample letter you can easily copy-and-paste it into their contact forms. Email, phone and/or fax them.

Senate Judiciary Committee:



Patrick J. Leahy Chairman, D-Vermont - http://leahy.senate.gov Phone 202-224-4242 FAX 202-224-3479

Herb Kohl D-Wisconsin - http://kohl.senate.gov Phone 202-224-5653 FAX 202-224-9787
Arlen Specter Ranking Member, D-Pennsylvania - http://specter.senate.gov Phone 202-224-4254 FAX 202-228-1229
Dianne Feinstein D-California - http://feinstein.senate.gov Phone 202-224-3841 FAX 202-228-3954
Orrin G. Hatch R-Utah - http://hatch.senate.gov Phone 202-224-5251 FAX 202-224-6331
Russell D. Feingold D-Wisconsin - http://feingold.senate.gov Phone 202-224-5323 FAX 202-224-2725
Charles E. Grassley R-Iowa - http://grassley.senate.gov Phone 202-224-3744 FAX None listed
Charles E. Schumer D-New York - http://schumer.senate.gov Phone 202-224-6542 FAX 202-228-3027
Jon Kyl R-Arizona - http://kyl.senate.gov Phone 202-224-4521 FAX 202-224-2207
Richard J. Durbin D-Illinois - http://durbin.senate.gov Phone 202-224-2152 FAX 202-228-0400
Jeff Sessions R-Alabama - http://sessions.senate.gov Phone 202-224-4124 FAX 202-224-3149
Benjamin L. Cardin D-Maryland - http://cardin.senate.gov Phone 202-224-4524 FAX 202-224-4651
Lindsey Graham R-South Carolina - http://lgraham.senate.gov Phone 202-224-5972 FAX None listed
Sheldon Whitehouse D-Rhode Island – Email: sheldon_whitehouse@whitehouse.senate.gov
John Cornyn R-Texas - http://cornyn.senate.gov Phone 202-224-2934 FAX 202-228-2856
Ron Wyden D-Oregon - http://wyden.senate.gov Phone 202-224-5244 FAX 202-228-2717
Tom Coburn R-Oklahoma - http://coburn.senate.gov Phone 202-224-5754 FAX 202-224-6008
Amy Klobuchar D-Minnesota - http://klobuchar.senate.gov Phone 202-224-3244 FAX 202-228-2186
Edward E. Kaufman D-Delaware - http://kaufman.senate.gov Phone 202-224-5042 FAX 202-228-3075



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SECOND:

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Contact your own US Senators and before it even gets to a Senate vote, strongly urge them to vote “NO” on S 909, the Hate Crimes Bill. Colorado Senators can be reached here:

Senator Mark Udall –

Email senator_mark_udall@markudall.senate.gov

Phone (202)224-5941

FAX (202) 224-6471

website for electronic submission: http://markudall.senate.gov



Senator Michael Bennet –

Email senator_bennet@bennet.senate.gov

Phone (202)224-5852

FAX (202) 228-5036

website for electronic submission: http://bennet.senate.gov

If you’re outside Colorado, go here and enter your zip code to find your Senator’s contact information: www.congress.org



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SAMPLE LETTER:

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Personalize this sample letter so it reflects your own opinion and comments, or write your own. Remember to include your contact information, as most lawmakers will ignore anonymous letters. Then use it to copy-and-paste into your emails and faxed letters.



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Dear Senator:



I am urging you to vote NO on S 909, the Hate Crimes Legislation bill. This bill is problematic for many reasons:

(1) It is unconstitutional. The 14th Amendment requires that all citizens be given equal treatment under the law. Hate crimes laws create special classes of victims and do not treat all victims fairly.

(2) It could ultimately lead to prosecution for thoughts and restrictions on free speech and religious liberty. Although it prosecutes only “acts of violence” and does not prosecute expressions or opinions, it opens the door to examining the thoughts of not only a criminal, but everyone with whom he may have come into contact. An overzealous prosecutor could turn a criminal prosecution into a political correctness prosecution. Broadly written hate crimes bills in other states and countries have been used to restrict the freedom of politically incorrect and unpopular speech. This bill could be used to advance the politically correct agenda in this country by providing greater protections for certain classes of people. Future legislation could expand these protections and place restrictions on religious liberty and free speech.

(3) It is unnecessary. Recent FBI statistics show that crimes motivated by hatred or bias against a trait of the victim are decreasing. Furthermore, many states already have a hate crimes law and there is no evidence that the states are failing to prosecute hate crimes. States which do not have hate crimes laws still prosecute the crimes under existing criminal laws. A federal bill hate crimes bill would only increase the control and scope of the federal government.

Vote NO on S 909.

Sincerely,

-Name-

-Address-

-City State Zip-

- Email/Phone -

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