WASHINGTON, June 16, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Concerned Women for America (CWA) warned that the Senate’s passage today of Sen. Ted Kennedy and Sen. Gordon Smith’s ‘hate crimes’ amendment lays the groundwork for the persecution of Christians, Orthodox Jews, Muslims and others.
“Using similar laws, the mere criticism of homosexuality is considered a ‘hate crime’ in Sweden and Canada,” said Robert Knight, director of CWA’s Culture and Family Institute. “The idea of a ‘hate crime’ is completely contrary to the American principles of free speech and equal protection under the law. Any Senator who voted for this is setting up our children and grandchildren for persecution as activist courts rule that biblical morality is ‘bigotry.’
“Equal protection means your grandma and your friend who lives as a homosexual have the same rights when they walk down the street. Under a hate crimes law, someone who mugs your grandmother will not be prosecuted as vigorously as someone who commits the same crime against a homosexual. This says to criminals: ‘Mug Grandma; It’s less risky.’ Hate crimes laws aren’t about justice; they are about favoritism and special rights.
“As the beacon of freedom to the world, America must resist this trend toward thought control and the twisting of the legal system into a grab bag of ‘group rights’ and special claims. There is no evidence that police and prosecutors are not enforcing the law against those who would prey on homosexuals or any other citizens. Nobody in America should live in fear, and all should have equal protection under the law.
“This is more proof that while being Republican led, the Senate is not a conservative body. We will rely on the House leadership to keep this harmful language from reaching the President’s desk, and we will encourage our members to look at their senators’ votes on this bill as they consider who they will support and oppose in November. “