Hate Crimes Redux
QandO has an excellent analysis of the EU’s new hate crime legislation.
Hate crime laws are one of my personal pet peeves. How can you punish someone for a belief? Of course, I know that you can but isn’t that un-American? Criminal statutes exist to punish conduct, not speech, and certainly not a belief.
While the article is on European legislation, left-wing Americans invented the concept. Don’t these self-defined civil libertarians realize that if they can prosecute a bigot for being a bigot, one day they could be prosecuted for being a granola eating, pot smoking, commie-lefty?
Technorati Tags: EU, QandO, civilliberties, belief, hatecrime
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In the case of “hate crimes”, what is being punished? The hate? Or the crime? I say punish the crime and don’t get into the business of deciding whether someone is a “hater” and punishing him for that as well. That is much too like the punishment of “reactionaries” in the Soviet Union, and jailing people for a sour look will be just around the corner.
Recommended reading or re-reading: 1984 by George Orwell.
Concerning ‘hate’ law proposals, I found myself reading a blockbuster of a web item. To see it, look for the “National Journal” under “globalfire.tv” and on the top line put in “The Earliest ‘Hate’ Criminals.” The ones who don’t want you to read it are the ones who should be exposed. Flo
The “National Journal” is pure anti-Semitic venom. Is your point that the Talmud is “hate speech” or do you even have a point? It doesn’t take much research to find equally ugly quotes from the Buddha, from Muhammad, and some of the Christian saints in their worst moments. Go ahead and hate, but do some research first and then see if you still think the same way.
“The Earliest “Hate” Criminals.”
http://globalfire.tv/nj/04en/letters/2004jan_02.htm
On another note, yeah, the whole thought of “hate crimes” is right out of the USSR, and certainly can and will be used to persecute political dissidents.
I do believe “hate speech” legislation is in play - so if one criticizes protected minorities, one could be convicted of “hate speech”
Good bye, USA.
For a scholarly and in-depth look at centuries-old accusations against Talmud, or the euphemistically phrased ‘earliest hate crimes’ you may want to read http://talmud.faithweb.com/articles/intro.html