Sticks and Stones...

From Ron Paul's website, concerning the Hate Crimes bill that would include sexual orientation and violent acts...

"Last week, the House of Representatives acted with disdain for the Constitution and individual liberty by passing HR 1592, a bill creating new federal programs to combat so-called “hate crimes.” The legislation defines a hate crime as an act of violence committed against an individual because of the victim’s race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. Federal hate crime laws violate the Tenth Amendment’s limitations on federal power. Hate crime laws may also violate the First Amendment guaranteed freedom of speech and religion by criminalizing speech federal bureaucrats define as “hateful.”"

So, killing a person with a knife or gun while you scream "Faggot!" is an exercise of the First Amendment!? Then, as if that wasn't enough, Ron climbs further up Mount Stupid, and says the Federal Government shouldn't be in the business of protecting civil rights! Then he stands on the summit and proclaims for all those looking up at this feat of idiocy, that "violent acts" are part of one's Freedom of Religion!

Jesus, Ron, what are you mixing in with your morning cereal? What "religion", besides cannibalism, encourages violence against people and can still call itself a "religion". Sorry, dude, that's not anything most people worry about on Sunday morning. I can imagine your ride to church... "Well, children, today's lesson will be how to kill and maim Gay people. Won't that be fun? We'll learn from the sermon how Jesus called His believers to slay anyone they think might be committing something that looks like love but is really a sin. Won't that be informative?"

Ron, baby, read the law... you said it yourself... "The legislation defines a hate crime as an act of violence committed against an individual because of the victim’s race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability." It's not a matter of Religious expression or Freedom of Speech or State's Rights. It's a matter of Civil Rights guaranteed by the US Constitution. It's not saying you have to be gay or disabled or Catholic or Mexican. It's just saying you can't perpetrate a violent crime upon someone who is, for that reason. If you do, it's a Hate Crime. You can still Hate just as much as you like and you can even encourage your children to Hate as much as you like. BUT, you can't act on that Hate and hurt someone in self-righteous justification thereof! Ok? (And the people of Texas continue to vote for you?! It's hard to imagine how they look at themselves in the mirror without gagging.)

-Devon