Counterpoint: Why Hate Crimes Legislation is a Bad Idea
Filed by: Yasmin Nair
February 8, 2009 2:30 PM
http://www.bilerico.com/2009/02/loving_hate_why_hate_crimes_legislation.phpThe Matthew Shepard Act (H.R. 1592) would expand the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. The bill also requires "the FBI to track statistics on hate crimes" against transgender people.
Increasingly, public opinion appears to be shifting in favor of the Act. The fact that Barack Obama has pledged his support for the expansion of the bill and that many Republicans are against it makes it seem like this is a fairly simple battle between the forces of good and evil.
But if you read, for instance, the HRC or NGLTF descriptions of the proposed amendment, there's no discussion of the consequences of the Act. How, you might wonder, is this Act to be put into practice? Who benefits from it being in place? Does it really end bigotry and intolerance? And does it really end hate?
