After reading an article today where a Jewish man, Walter Adler, was attacked on a subway after yelling out “Happy Hannukah”, it seems like our country is definitely in need of a Hate Crimes bill. Who came to his aid? A Muslim man, Hassan Askari. I’m happy that someone helped him but find it sad that only one person found the courage to stand up to the anti-semitic bullies on the subway. Funny, too, that the person who helped Adler is of a race that also receives a lot of hate crime in our country.
So why is it that we don’t have a Hate Crimes bill? Well, politics is a tricky game. The Democrats apparently didn’t have enough votes to get it to passed so they removed it from a policy bill that will probably pass now. And while the bill got incredible support from human- and gay-rights groups, it was not welcomed at all by religious groups. Religious leaders were apparently afraid that, if the bill passed, they wouldn’t be able to condemn homosexuality at the pulpit (that would just be terrible, now, wouldn’t it?).
And here’s a gem of a quote from Tom McClusky, vice president for government affairs for the Family Research Council:
“Every crime should be classified as a hate crime. It eliminates that every one is being treated equally,” he said. “If I’m hurt in a crime and its not designated hate crime, I have no recourse if I think the local police are doing nothing.”
Well, Tom, all crimes aren’t created equal. There’s a major difference between:
- getting shot by someone who’s just looking to shoot anyone so that he’s “remembered” after he takes his own life,
- getting shot by someone who just absolutely hates Christians/Jew/Muslims and yells anti-Christian/Jewish/Muslim rhetoric in your face before killing you
Granted, in both cases the victim may wind up dead but the reason is totally different. The bill isn’t saying that certain groups or people are better than others – it’s trying to level out the playing field. Some people apparently think that it’s ok to attack/hurt/kill others from a different race, religion, or sexual preference. There is absolutely no reason why these things should be tolerated and, honestly, I think it’s kind of sad that we need a Hate Crimes bill. But we do need it. These things aren’t going to go away on their own – in fact, they’ll only get worse. We’re supposed to be “the best country in the world” or something like that. It’s time that we grow up and act our age. And Democrats, why don’t you grow a pair sometime? Honestly, it’s hard to support you guys when you’re only looking at what will bring in the votes. Stand up for something if you believe in it!
