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Christian Conservatives Oppose Hate-Crime Bill

By Chris

A proposed expansion of hate-crime laws currently up for debate on Capitol Hill is drawing fire from an unlikely source ? Christian conservatives. Hate crime laws add extra penalties to crimes that target and aim to intimidate victims based on race, color, religion or national origin. A bill in Congress, the Matthew Shepard Act, could expand hate crime protection to cover sexual orientation, gender identity and disability. According to USA Today, conservative leaders oppose the Shepard Act, named after the Wyoming man murdered in 1998, as unconstitutional. “The entire notion of hate-crimes legislation is extraneous and obsolete,” said Matt Barber, director of cultural affairs with the conservative nonprofit Liberty Counsel, suggesting all hate crime laws be repealed...continue to full post

Full post as published by The Criminal Defense Blog on June 16, 2009 (boomark / email).