Last week, The Missoulian ran an editorial that I found rather disconcerting. Okay, actually, I thought it was just plain wrong and it pissed me off. The op-ed called for an end to Montana's "hate crime" statutes, and argued that as all victims are equally offended, so all offenders should be equally bound by law. The piece argues this by drawing several equivalences that most rational people would agree with.
However, like most attempts to sway opinion through the use of common sense and common knowledge, the article precisely hits the bullseye ... of the wrong target. David Neiwert, of the website Orcinus (quickly becoming one of my absolute favorites), responds to his former employers at the Missoulian here. His letter to the editor is a must read.
Well, this is an eye opener. I enjoyed reading David's piece. I'm afraid my gut reactions to all of this is bad. I'm afraid this is just an extension of the fundamentalist agenda, from a traditional, good ol' boy, southern white bread mentality, a sense of superiority, that has lately been adopting this new "victim" posturing: Of course they have to roll back hate crime legislation, along with every other progressive legislature put in place since the civil rights movement of the 60's. Torture, according to Lush Bimbo, is just "blowing off a little steam," right? Rape has returned to a "she asked for it," mentality. Liberals are traitors and should be shot. Gays all need to die of AIDS, in order to make their little Jesus-lovin', gun-totin' world more Perfect ... so of course Hate Crime Legislation is unfair to this mindset.
They don't even comprehend the vast explosive fallout from hate crime -- the impact it has on an entire community, not to mention the victim and the section of humanity they belong to, that which defines them, embraces them, gave them birth and a sense of identity.
According to these people who would brush off hate crimes as harmless pranks and blowing off steam, there is no reason or need for separate legislation to deal with this new uprising of crimes against targeted sections of our humanity, our neighbors.
They are different, that's all these people see, and they deserve what they get. And if the perps are caught, they don't want to hear that it was hate-motivated, because that doesn't fall within their highly creative, self-serving fundamentalist agenda.
Their logic is flawed. Their rationalizations are just that -- a continuation of the current fad perpetrated by the very leaders of our country, who provided the very best role models to these people -- that of BULLIES -- to accept no responsibility for their hurtful, hateful attitudes and actions and this too, falls under the new category of Bushco. policy: Always Adopt Non-Accountability.
This is bad. This is very bad. It might start with bullying, but it ends up taking the downward path to murder ... physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
And like the ripples in a pond, this is going to radiate outward to effect the entire Nation.
Posted by: Kate S. | January 30, 2005 at 12:03 PM
I must say I have always been a bit ambivalent about hate crime legislature... No longer, that article opened my eyes. Definitely worth reading for ALL.
Posted by: Mark Wilson | February 04, 2005 at 11:21 PM