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'Hate Crimes' Bill Opposed by 'Religious Zealots,' Activists Say
By Randy Hall
CNSNews.com Staff Writer/Editor
July 11, 2007
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200707/POL20070711a.html
(CNSNews.com) - As the Senate prepares to vote on legislation that
would expand the categories of "hate crimes," a group of civil rights
leaders on Tuesday called opponents of the measure "right-wing
fundamentalists" with "often-bigoted agendas."
A coalition of conservative Christians said at a press conference held
the same day that the bill is "unjust" and "an attempt to take away
the rights of Christians to speak out and express their freedom of
speech."
"Our effort to expand the coverage of the federal hate crimes statute
is based on issues of simple fairness, simple justice," Wade
Henderson, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil
Rights (LCCR), said during a telephone news conference.
"We think that hate crime violence directed at individuals because of
their race, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, religion or
national origin fundamentally violates our understanding of what it
means to be protected by the U.S. Constitution," he stated.
"We think that responding to that kind of violence by enacting a
statute that seeks to provide states and localities with the resources
they need to enforce the law -- and when they don't act, to allow the
federal government to step in a limited number of appropriate cases --
is really, fundamentally, the right thing to do," Henderson added.
Participants in the conference call voiced support for the Matthew
Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which was
introduced on March 20 by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.).
However, given the full Senate calendar, Henderson urged that the
measure be attached to the Department of Defense authorization bill
rather than trying to get the Kennedy bill approved separately.
"I'm confident that if this bill is allowed to move forward as an
amendment [to the Defense bill], we will have the 60 votes we need" to
invoke cloture and bring the measure to a vote on the Senate floor, he
said. "The real issue is whether there will be efforts [by opponents]
to find other, creative ways of slowing down or delaying consideration
of the bill."
Henderson voiced optimism that the move would ultimately succeed.
"We think that the issue of injustice and the problems associated with
the kind of violence that we're trying to deal with in this bill will
compel the American people ultimately to embrace what we're trying to
do," he said.
Carlton Pearson, senior minister of the New Dimensions Worship Center
in Tulsa, Okla., said he was taking part in the news conference
because, "as a sacred activist, it's both worrisome and bothersome to
me that some African-American preachers" oppose the bill and by doing
so present their community as "a monolithic, homophobic church."
"I've met many of these preachers, and I know how right-wing
fundamentalists are often motivating them" to accept "often-bigoted
agendas," he said. "Their motivation is often either fear or money, or
both, but it's not necessarily the love of God or the love of peace or
people.
"I want to make it clear that there are many African-American
preachers, as well as others, who love God and love people and who
support this legislation and think it's one of the most sensitive,
intelligent, delicate and important legislation that Congress can vote
for," Pearson stated.
'Americans deserve better'
The Senate initiative parallels one in the House, where a Cybercast
News Service previously reported, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.)
introduced the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act on
March 20.
Conservatives responded by saying hate crimes legislation would
essentially place homosexuals and lesbians in a protected class along
with racial minorities, and could muzzle free speech.
Some Christian groups also expressed outrage when the full House vote
on the measure was scheduled for May 3, the annual National Day of
Prayer. The bill was approved by a vote of 237 to 180.
On Tuesday, members of several religious organizations rallied in
front of the U.S. Capitol to protest what they called a "disturbing
trend that seeks to criminalize Christianity in America."
"This so-called 'hate crimes' bill is an attempt to take away the
rights of Christians to speak out and express their freedom of
speech," said Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, founder and president of BOND
(Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny). "This is unjust, and
Americans deserve better than this from their elected officials."
"Those who hate God are working to criminalize those who love Him, and
they are making great strides to see that it happens," declared
Michael Marcavage, director of a group called Repent America. "We must
not remain silent as our liberty to freely speak the Word of God and
the gospel of Jesus Christ is being threatened."
"No government official has the authority to determine our beliefs,
regulate our faith or punish our thoughts," said the Rev. Rusty Lee
Thomas, founder and director of Elijah Ministries. "This is where
every liberty-loving Christian should stand."
By Randy Hall
CNSNews.com Staff Writer/Editor
July 11, 2007
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200707/POL20070711a.html
(CNSNews.com) - As the Senate prepares to vote on legislation that
would expand the categories of "hate crimes," a group of civil rights
leaders on Tuesday called opponents of the measure "right-wing
fundamentalists" with "often-bigoted agendas."
A coalition of conservative Christians said at a press conference held
the same day that the bill is "unjust" and "an attempt to take away
the rights of Christians to speak out and express their freedom of
speech."
"Our effort to expand the coverage of the federal hate crimes statute
is based on issues of simple fairness, simple justice," Wade
Henderson, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil
Rights (LCCR), said during a telephone news conference.
"We think that hate crime violence directed at individuals because of
their race, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, religion or
national origin fundamentally violates our understanding of what it
means to be protected by the U.S. Constitution," he stated.
"We think that responding to that kind of violence by enacting a
statute that seeks to provide states and localities with the resources
they need to enforce the law -- and when they don't act, to allow the
federal government to step in a limited number of appropriate cases --
is really, fundamentally, the right thing to do," Henderson added.
Participants in the conference call voiced support for the Matthew
Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which was
introduced on March 20 by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.).
However, given the full Senate calendar, Henderson urged that the
measure be attached to the Department of Defense authorization bill
rather than trying to get the Kennedy bill approved separately.
"I'm confident that if this bill is allowed to move forward as an
amendment [to the Defense bill], we will have the 60 votes we need" to
invoke cloture and bring the measure to a vote on the Senate floor, he
said. "The real issue is whether there will be efforts [by opponents]
to find other, creative ways of slowing down or delaying consideration
of the bill."
Henderson voiced optimism that the move would ultimately succeed.
"We think that the issue of injustice and the problems associated with
the kind of violence that we're trying to deal with in this bill will
compel the American people ultimately to embrace what we're trying to
do," he said.
Carlton Pearson, senior minister of the New Dimensions Worship Center
in Tulsa, Okla., said he was taking part in the news conference
because, "as a sacred activist, it's both worrisome and bothersome to
me that some African-American preachers" oppose the bill and by doing
so present their community as "a monolithic, homophobic church."
"I've met many of these preachers, and I know how right-wing
fundamentalists are often motivating them" to accept "often-bigoted
agendas," he said. "Their motivation is often either fear or money, or
both, but it's not necessarily the love of God or the love of peace or
people.
"I want to make it clear that there are many African-American
preachers, as well as others, who love God and love people and who
support this legislation and think it's one of the most sensitive,
intelligent, delicate and important legislation that Congress can vote
for," Pearson stated.
'Americans deserve better'
The Senate initiative parallels one in the House, where a Cybercast
News Service previously reported, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.)
introduced the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act on
March 20.
Conservatives responded by saying hate crimes legislation would
essentially place homosexuals and lesbians in a protected class along
with racial minorities, and could muzzle free speech.
Some Christian groups also expressed outrage when the full House vote
on the measure was scheduled for May 3, the annual National Day of
Prayer. The bill was approved by a vote of 237 to 180.
On Tuesday, members of several religious organizations rallied in
front of the U.S. Capitol to protest what they called a "disturbing
trend that seeks to criminalize Christianity in America."
"This so-called 'hate crimes' bill is an attempt to take away the
rights of Christians to speak out and express their freedom of
speech," said Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, founder and president of BOND
(Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny). "This is unjust, and
Americans deserve better than this from their elected officials."
"Those who hate God are working to criminalize those who love Him, and
they are making great strides to see that it happens," declared
Michael Marcavage, director of a group called Repent America. "We must
not remain silent as our liberty to freely speak the Word of God and
the gospel of Jesus Christ is being threatened."
"No government official has the authority to determine our beliefs,
regulate our faith or punish our thoughts," said the Rev. Rusty Lee
Thomas, founder and director of Elijah Ministries. "This is where
every liberty-loving Christian should stand."
