America’s House of Representatives votes on the hate crimes bill today. In anticipation of the event, Judy Shepard, whose murdered son Matthew has become a martyr in the fight for equal protection, has penned an op-ed pushing for the bill’s passage.
Taking on conservatives, such as FRC, who argue the bill will restrict their religious thought, Shepard writes:
Congressional offices all across Washington are being flooded with phone calls opposing the legislation because political organizations on the ultra-right have been lying to their members, and telling them that this legislation would punish religious people for anti-gay speech — dubbing this a “thought crimes bill.”
The tireless activist goes on to criticize their fact manipulation.
The people spreading this type of propaganda are blatantly lying to their members out of fear that the federal government might finally legislatively recognize that gay Americans exist, and need the same rights and protections the rest of us take for granted.
Even worse, the Traditional Values Coalition is misleading and manipulating its members to make these phone calls to Congress, even when they know in their hearts that they are spreading lies.
Shepard goes on to point out that many religious leaders support these controversial laws. And, what’s more, these conservatives would do well to remember that religion tradition’s protecting people, not putting them out the pasture to be devoured by wolves.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Meanwhile, religious conservatives continue to pressure President Bush to veto the bill. Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth rails, “This is really about getting the heavy hand of the federal government in promoting homosexuality as a ‘civil right'”. We know it’s a lop-sided comparison, but blacks, Asians and people of every other color have rights. Why shouldn’t gay people? Until there’s definitive proof that gays “choose” to be gay, we should have the same rights as people who can’t “choose” their skin color, no? Once conservatives convince us that we’re just playing mind games with ourselves, then we’ll back down. And seek psychological help. We probably won’t stop sucking dick, though…
Dave
The FRC dubs this a “thought crimes bill”? That’s weird, because I didn’t know they had such facility to think? Because if they did, why would they go against the most basic tenet of their “religion”, treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. Oh, hold on a minute. Now,I get it. I totally understand now. Since they don’t think for themselves, they don’t want anyone else to do so either. So that’s what being born again is all about, just erase common sense and think like a three year old child. Okay, it just takes a moment I guess to figure out their rationale. Whatever happened to the radical idea of separation of Church and State? This law doesn’t impede on Freedom of Religious practice, which is all that I thought we had. Nor does it impede on our Freedom of Speech, because the government in this bill is not limiting speech it doesn’t already limit. This bill seeks to enforce better and categorize actions already deemed felonious. I thought conservatives were such advocates of strict interpretationalism of the United States Constitution anyway. Dare I say most of our Founding Fathers were agnostic by the way. We are truly blessed to have Judy Shepard ferociously fighting along side us, especially considering the toll she’s had to endure in her personal life and still having such vigor to fight such vipers as those who espouse “Traditional Family Values”, which is just code for bringing this country ever closer to a Neo-Puritanistic/Fascist Theocracy. GO JUDY!!!!
John
Forget about whether it’s a choice!!!!!! RELIGION is a choice and IT is federally protected!!!!! Nobody gets it!
Dave
I personally am an Atheist, but protection of one’s ability to practice whatever religion they want should be Federally protected. The use of religion as a weapon for propoganda is nothing new. Of course religion is a choice, but that’s not the point here. It’s precisely the use of religion as a propoganda tool for governmental regulation that is the problem which is why there is and should continue to be a separation of church and state.
John
I agree Dave. And I wasn’t suggesting that religion shouldn’t be protected. I just think it’s pretty arrogant for those whose rights ARE federally protected (the religious right) to block federal protection for another group of people. My whole point with my last post was simply to point out that the debate over whether homosexuality is a choice has no bearing whatsoever on whether gay people should be federally protected because even if it were a choice, other choices such as religion are federally protected.
Dave
We’re on the same page John. I totally agree. But this is also a country with a long history of ignorance, intolerance and bigotry. It’s a hard fight. It took women until 1920 to finally be able to vote. When the Constitution was first drafted, black people were deemed 3/5 of a human being. I won’t even go to the policies against the native population. I can surely attest to being a homosexual is not of choice. I agree that the Conservative Far Right argument is exactly the point you’re driving at John. What’s worse government money goes into many religious programs like the “ex-gay” ministry work. It’s exasperating then to hear our “allies” on the liberal front telling us that our time will come. When? In an atmosphere that pushes the teaching in public schools of the bible’s creation theory as an equivalent to evolution? When the Scopes trial is as controversial today as it was almost a century ago. These are all that obstacles homosexuals and other oppressed groups are up against.
nystudman
Judy Shepherd is a total class act. anyone who has seen her upclose and personal is smitten with her real-life charm and sincerity. If life were fair and this country not so fucked up, she’d be at least a senator!