It wouldn’t surprise me if folks like the Traditional Values Coaltion make that claim about HR 1592, a federal hate crimes bill, as has falsely been claimed about abortion.
Given that they are claiming pastors can be arrested if they preach against homosexuality and a church member of theirs commits a homosexual-based hate crime, who knows what will come next?
Facts:
• Speech can’t be prosecuted like that, whether for hate crimes or other causes, unless it contains an actual incitement to act.
• The only way it could so be criminalized would be if the TVC’s quasi-divinized President Bush got his way with enough “anti-terror” legislation that its provisions got extended to hate crimes prosecutions. (Of course, the “hoist by one’s own petard” scenario would almost make that worth it.)
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