Or at least that is what we may infer from the recent legislative activity in one of America’s most socially backwards states, Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma State Senate passed a bill Thursday that would limit what authorities can do when prosecuting hate crimes.
The bill would prohibit local and state law enforcement agencies from sharing information about hate crimes with federal authorities if the state of Oklahoma did not recognize the crime as a hate crime by its own statutes.
The Oklahoma Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community condemned the bill’s passage.
I would like to see us consider renaming this phenomenon called “hate crime.” The term is too simplistic, using only a few letters and syllables, and the exact meaning of those words does not reflect what a “hate crime” really is. Therefore, slack jawed morons such as Steve Russell, put the overt meaing of the words (“Hate” and “Crime”) together and come up with the most dumb-ass incorrect interpretations possible and then go off about it like they are being personally harmed.
All violent crimes are bad. But when the motive of a violent (or other nasty) crime is because the victim is the member of some category of person, then all other members of that category are terrorized, even a little, by that criminal act. That makes the crime a hate crime. If I knock you on the head with a hammer because I hate you, that’s assault. If I knock you on the head with a hammer becasue you are a Jew, then that is assault on you and an indirect act of nastiness against all who are Jewish, because they might be my next victim, because if I am glorified by the right wing press or just merely featured in the news, other hate filled sickos may follow suit, because this particular act might be part of a larger anti-group (in this hypothetical case Jews) conspiracy or movement of some kind.
That is what a hat crime is. But, I can tell you that there is a near perfect correspondence between being against hate crime legislation and not knowing what a hate crime is. And, there is a correlation between those two tings and being a dumbass. And, there is a correlation between those three things and being a Republican right winger fundie.
A group. A hateful, hating, and in my view hate-worthy group. Members of which I will not hit on the head with a hammer, but if someone does because of who you are, I would certainly hope that there are hate crime laws in place to protect your collective sorry worthless asses.
Hat Tip: Aseem Nevrekar
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I find it curious why such actions aren’t labeled “terrorism.” Both are calculated attacks of “soft” targets to cause fear among other in that same demographic. Usually, it has a political (or religious) goal in mind and such goal is usually the marginalization of a particular group.
@Jared — I agree! And by those standards, domestic violence should also be called terrorism, just of a very personal nature….
Isn’t that federal obstruction of justice?
D2U: I guess we may see federal troops marching into OK.
I did not think a state could override federal law. Not that I would ever move there from California, but to be sure, I have crossed it off my retirement list!
It’s absolutely shameless. When you try to restrict hate crime legislation with the stated intent to “protect religious free speech”, you’ve told me everything about yourself and your religion that I need to know.
I agree that the ‘hate crime’ term is problematic, but it’s not easy to come up with a suitable alternative. Something along the lines of “bias/intimidation crime”, perhaps?
That’s why Texas doesn’t slide off into the Gulf – Oklahoma sucks.
Not only did this stupid bill pass the Oklahoma Senate, it passed with a vote of 39-6.
The most disturbing part of this is to find that they have a specific law already in place that specifically excludes gender preference from being protected in a hate crimes bill of their own. C’mon, Okies! If you can’t hate on and beat the crap other groups, what fun is it? And do you take out your frustration in not being able to commit crimes against minorities by doubling your pummeling of gays?
I posted a blog on the physiology behind xenophobia.
http://daedalus2u.blogspot.com/2010/03/physiology-behind-xenophobia.html
It really is about hating and by that hating enforcing a social hierarchy where the hated are at the bottom and those that preach the hate are at the top.
It isn’t about â??hating the sinâ?, it is about hating the person who is not in the in group. When members of the in group â??sinâ?, they can be forgiven because they are one of the in group. Someone who does not share the in group’s hatred is hated because they are not in the in group. Their â??sin statusâ? does not matter.
I am totally in favor of hat crime legislation.
OK Most backward State?
That’s hard to believe. You do know that Minnesota elected Michele Bachmann? You must have read about the Texas textbook issue. Now the whole nation will be saddled with Texas textbook trash.
No, I think OK is going to have to setle for third place.
Max, Bachmann is pretty terrible as people go, but she has the advantage of being a singularly ineffective legislator. This legislation is likely to hurt a lot more people than she could even if she tried.
I said: “one of America’s most socially backwards states, Oklahoma. ”
Max understood: “OK Most backward State?”
I will be earmarking this comment to refer back to when people scream at me for not causing my intended meaning to materialize perfectly in the minds of others.
Now, getting back to the issue …
Max, I said “ONE OF” the most backwards, not THE most backwards. And, you have it wrong about Minnesota.
Minnesota also has Pawlenty as Governer, shame on us. But we do tend to have a fairly progressive state legislature and we tend to send an excellent delegation to DC even it is is marred at present by she who shall not be named before I’ve had my morning coffee. We are no where near the to three in being uncivilized. South Carolina beats us by a mile, for instance. North Carolina. Florida. Alabama. Mississippi. The list goes on.
OK is probably not in the top three either. But last time I checked, there were fifty states.
I did not think a state could override federal law.
Indeed, the entire point of federal hate crimes/non-discrimination legislation is exactly what these bozos are attempting to outlaw: having the feds come in and clean up local messes.
Doesn’t the 14th Amendment put a kibosh on this? 14th Amendment reasoning that is being used to try and invalidate laws restricting firearms.
The Federal hate-crime law is written in neutral terms of sexual orientation, not in favor of one orientation or another.
testing
One thing about these mega churches we have down here is that they know how to get the faithful out to the polls. Theyâ??re told what god likes and what god doesnâ??t like, and they vote accordingly. Thatâ??s precisely why we have the nut jobs we do in our state legislature. Another recent pearl of legislation is house bill 2780, which requires women to view an ultrasound image of the fetus prior to having an abortion. The provider is required to comment on the image and describe what it shows, and is subject to a $10,000 fine for failure to do so. The woman may turn her eyes away from the image if she so chooses (see how compassionate our legislators can be). This bill easily passed the house 87 to 7, but whatâ??s remarkable is how controversial the bill is in the general public. The fact that the vote wasnâ??t closer indicates that our legislators know exactly who put them office. These 6 legislators who voted against the hate crime bill must now go back to their constituents and explain why they voted against the laws of God. As long as the fundamentalists pick and choose our elected officials, Oklahoma will continue to be an embarrassment. As has been stated above, a number of other states are giving us a good run for the money for the coveted title of most backward, but unfortunately weâ??re in the hunt.