Congressman John Conyers
H.R. 1913, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, sponsored by John Conyers (D-MI), was just passed in the house this past. The bill is, quite frankly, a superfluous piece of legislation that pushes a thought police agenda.
The bill seeks to punish offenders for crimes ‘motivated’ by hate because of race, religion, color, natural origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
Here’s a slab of common sense: if someone is motivated to hurt some one physically, especially to the point of using a firearm or incendiary device to murder, it’s a safe bet that they hate them. Juuuust a little.
We have laws in place that punishes criminals who perpetrate violent crimes. To add more because of a perceived hate is just political correctness making its way into the courtroom.
BUT WAIT…THERE’S MORE!
Here’s where it gets disturbing and downright discriminatory.
In Section 6, it starts off saying:
(a) In General- Chapter 13 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
It would make sense to find out what that part of the code says:
If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same;
They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.
This is what is called the Conspiracy Against Rights and it could, in effect, allow law enforcement to consider speaking against, oh…homosexuality in a church or online, as a hate crime. The key word here would be oppress. It’s an attempted end around the First Amendment.
THE COUP DE GRACE
To throw us a bone, they add this at the end:
Nothing in this Act, or the amendments made by this
Act, shall be construed to prohibit any expressive conduct protected from legal prohibition by, or any activities protected by the free speech or free exercise clauses of, the First Amendment to the Constitution.
Look closely at that. The part we need to be concerned with is protected from legal prohibition. If this bill passes and becomes a law, then it’s legal and therefore the rights you have under the First Amendment are null and void when exercising your free speech if that speech is something they deem oppressive to these groups.
TIME TO GET BUSY
As I said before, this has already passed the house and it needs to be stopped. Americans for the First Amendment need to flood the phones, emails, and mailboxes of their reps and tell them to vote against this bill. Write and call multiple times. It’s time to show them that we’re going to hold them accountable.
Remember, they are employed by us. We are their boss.
The Bible says:
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:9-10)
As Christians, we’re here to serve and we have a responsibility and duty as stewards of this nation to look to protect the welfare of others. To be able to do this is a privilege and a blessing. Take your responsibility as an American seriously. Otherwise, the freedom that we have to worship and speak the very word of God will vanish.
In this episode, P.R.E.Z. takes a look at what’s going on in Arizona as well as discrimination at Eastern Michigan University against a Christian student.
