Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Senator DeMint will not address the lie he told about hate crimes legislation

So many things happened today that I was almost didn't know what to write about.

First there was this:

Commentary: The APA Says ‘No Evidence’ In Support of Ex-Gay Therapy

then there was this:

BREAKING NEWS: ENDA introduced in Senate

So while "everything was coming up roses" so to speak, it looked like I would have to play "eeney, meeney, miney, mo" to decide what to write about.

Then a certain email hit my box from Sen. Jim DeMint. It reads in part like such:

Dear Mr. McEwen,

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for S.909, the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act. As you may know, this bill would create a new federal crime for willfully causing bodily injury to any person because of their actual or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

Like you, I believe all criminals who commit violent crimes should be severely punished. However, I also believe all crimes are hate crimes, and have concerns that expanding federal hate crimes law would turn almost any crime involving willful bodily injury into a federal felony.

Additionally, the broad language of this hate crimes legislation will unnecessarily extend federal law enforcement beyond its constitutional bounds. Expanding federal involvement in an area that is truly a state and local law enforcement responsibility undermines the authority and effectiveness of those officials, and creates conditions for arbitrary and politicized prosecution of certain cases.

I will spare you the rest of the email because it's as boring as what I have shown you.

And totally off the subject of the email I sent him. My email addressed this letter that Sen. DeMint sent to pastors around the country telling them that hate crimes legislation would lead to them being arrested for preaching that homosexuality is a sin.

I even wrote a post about it.

But Sen. DeMint wouldn't even mention the letter he wrote nor did he continue to tell the lie about pastors being arrested.

Maybe I should be glad that it seems as if DeMint is abandoning that lie. But I'm not.

To me, the thing worser than telling a lie is pretending that you never said it.



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