Perceptions Of Crime

I previously posted on H.R. 1592, now S. 1105. Sure enough, CAIR supports the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, a measure which would expand the federal definition of hate crimes.


In its entirety, the following is a recent CAIR Alert, emphases mine:

(Washington, DC 4/24/2007)-The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on American Muslims and all people of conscience to support the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (HR 1592).

If passed, the bill would allow the Attorney General to provide federal assistance to local law enforcement to aid investigations of crimes motivated by “…prejudice based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin…” of the victim.

In a statement made while introducing the Senate version of the bill, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) said: “Our legislation is supported by a broad coalition of over 210 law enforcement, civic, religious and civil rights groups…” and “The absence of effective legislation has undoubtedly resulted in the failure to solve many hate-motivated crimes.

“Victimizing a human being simply because of their race, faith, or other traits is simply unacceptable,” said CAIR National Legislative Director Corey Saylor. “America will be a brighter place when such discrimination is a thing of the past.”

Pamela of Atlas Shrugs, whom WC and I interviewed yesterday on The Gathering Storm Radio Show (We had a few technical difficulties at the start of the show, but the sound comes on after a minute or two), has also blogged on the subject of this measure and points out that President Bush has indicated that he will veto the bill if it reaches his desk. Although the President has rarely wielded the veto pen, of late he seems to have discovered its power.

The Democratic Party, too, is discovering the power of the Presidential veto. Today, the Washington Post ran this article on the front page, above the fold. Excerpt:

In the heady opening weeks of the 110th Congress, the Democrats' domestic agenda appeared to be flying through the Capitol: Homeland security upgrades, a higher minimum wage and student loan interest rate cuts all passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.

...Not a single priority on the Democrats' agenda has been enacted, and some in the party are growing nervous that the "do nothing" tag they slapped on Republicans last year could come back to haunt them.

The Democratic Party's promises not kept could be a good thing for America. Ah, the wisdom of a checks-and-balances system!

At Dhimmi Watch, Robert Spencer points out the following in "Finnish Police Will Question Blogger Under 'Incitement Against Groups' Law":

It is apparently illegal in Eurabia to speak the truth about the fact that Muslims who wage war in the name of Islam, and oppress women and non-Muslims in the name of Islam, have copious Islamic texts to which they can and do refer to justify their actions -- even though this would be the first step to any authentic Islamic reform.

Read the rest. The interrogation of a particular Finnish blogger is not a hypothetical case! Further information at Gates of Vienna.

Hugh Fitzgerald, also of Dhimmi Watch, has written a thoughtful essay on the folly of thought-crime legislation and states the following:

What they [Muslims] cannot stand is that Infidels should dare to read, dare to quote, dare to write the exact same things, in a spirit not of blind and submissive worship, but in a spirit rather of inquiry into what Muslim texts teach Muslims about Muhammad -- about what he said, and what he did, and what he wished for, and what he counselled Muslims.

Mr. Fitzgerald goes on to discuss the story of Muhammad's marriage to nine-year-old Aisha and concludes his essay with the following:

The Jihad will not be weakened if, all over the Western world, thoughtcrime legislation is permitted to pass. It must not.

Read the rest, in which Mr. Fitzgerald points out that telling the truth about Islam could well constitute a hate crime.

Contact your elected officials in Congress, and voice your objection to The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (H.R.1592 and S.1105).

[Hat-tip to Eleanor of Sixth Column for some of the links-trail above]