[FlaGator]

This is a very good article/commentary on the potential federal law that congress is now considering.

All violent crimes should be vigorously prosecuted - but this novel legal approach violates several core principles and holds a number of dangers.

1) It violates the “equal protection of the laws” by protecting some victims more than others. This is a principle which is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and is even carved above the entrance to the Supreme Court (“Equal Justice Under Law”). Do we somehow care less about a victim who is violently assaulted because of a robbery or personal dispute than we do about a victim who is assaulted because they belong in a federally protected category?

2) It punishes thoughts and not just actions. Advocates of the bill deny this because it only authorizes prosecution of someone who “willfully causes bodily injury” or “attempts to cause bodily injury.” But such acts are already crimes under state law. What converts the acts targeted by this bill into a federal offense are the thoughts or opinions of the perpetrator alone. Since every violent crime manifests some sort of “hate,” it makes more sense to think of this as a “thought crimes” law.

3) It constitutes a major federal power grab from states and localities. A version of this bill in an earlier Congress was dubbed the “Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act.” It might better be known as the “Local Law Enforcement Usurpation Act.” In fact, it would even allow prosecution of an individual who had already been prosecuted and acquitted for the same act at the state level-which violates the constitutional protection against double jeopardy.

Read the whole story here

[patriot45]

Hate is an emotion. Liberals live for emotion so I could see this lame pos bill passing.

[FlaGator]

Originally Posted by patriot45

Hate is an emotion. Liberals live for emotion so I could see this lame pos bill passing.

This bill will infringe on state rights big time. I really don't see a lot of the governors just rolling over for this.