Hate Crimes Passes, Faces Veto

Why do we even need hate crime laws? Shouldn't a crime be a crime, regardless of what gender, ethnicity, disability status, or what sexual orientation a person is? I think if you assault someone, you should be charged with assault. If you attack a homosexual because of their sexual preferences, you should be charged with assault. Either way, it's an attack on the person, regardless if you wanted their money or if you can't tolerate their beliefs or preferences. Equal status in the US means equal protection under the law; the sad fact is--even with laws--you can't force acceptance. It will come in time. If I was stabbed, I would not care if I was stabbed because I was straight, or Italian/ Irish. I'd care because I'd been STABBED and could be seriously injured.

I got this link from my LGBT group and was a little astonished at what I've read. I was overjoyed by how positive outcome turned to be but as I read further I grew disappointed. Must the military go so low as to use a defense bill of our civil rights to get their funding? Seriously, on that part I have to agree that this bill should not be passed if it's going to end up getting us into further dept because of the selfish military. This bill was meant to bring peace, not war. Shame on you for wanting to pass a bill for all the wrong reasons. Then I got to the part where the senators offered to make an amendment to remove the F-22 funding. But what happens if that fails? Obviously, I would LIKE for this bill to pass but I wouldn't be upset either if Obama vetoed it. Let's not get selfish, we have to think of our economy and how this bill can affect the common man. I would so rather wait a few more years for a rewrite than pay 200 more dollars on gas.

My thought is that if Obama vetoes this legislation, that we should start running commercials with Obama's face next to the remains of some of the LGBT people who have lost their lives due to hate crimes. Plain and simple, we need to hit him where it hurts if we expect to get anything done. He won't do it because it's right or because he promised it. He'll do it when it becomes such a political liability that he has no other choice. A few commercials like that run during prime time would do wonders for getting him to do what he promised.

If you assume the role of a victim, the path will be paved for you. Hate crime laws are AGAINST EVERYONE!

Fu%# the economy! There are lives to save with this bill!! I'm not surprised that so many groups are trying ever-so hard to try and stop this justice from happening, yet our senators let them go unheard. Apparently they do make the right decisions sometimes.

I detest PJR, and so mentally surround each of his blathering posts with a cadre of Romaine Patterson's angels and move on, content in the knowledge that PJR's comments are documented examples of the hate that we in the LGBTQ communities still experience for other fair-minded visitors to this website to read and then make up their own minds. In the meantime, please ignore PJR as I am far more interested in what everyone else has to say about this article. Happy Pride!

61 votes over rides everything...you don't need unanimous consent. (1 includes the Vice President). This is STUPID and Reid should be embarrassed. before the final version is put out that F-22 crap needs to be thrown out. Also keeping an eye on Sen. Sessions. putting a death penalty attachment is like wearing garlic you might avoid some vampires but nobody else will come near you either. The Bill to expand the Hate crime law to include the death penalty is only a ploy to weaken the support and make division. Now having said all of that. These Senate Rules are STUPID. Period. If the bill passes it should go to joint house committee without attachments or association with any other congressional business.

This is attached to DoD simply because standalone bills can't pss the Senate without a unanimous consent agreement and only major must-pass bills can secure such a deal between Reid and McConnell. There's no conspiracy. It's just the cumbersome way the Senate is set up to work. Calm down, everyone; the hate crimes bill will be on the final DoD bill and Obama will sign it. If you want to do something productive, call your senator and ask that the F-22's that the Pentagon doesn't even want be left out of this bill. They're only an issue because Chris Dodd wants to save Connecticut defense-contracting jobs.

I hope Obama will veto this rediculous Bill. Why would we want to waste money that we don't have?

I'm not thrilled with the way President Obama has dragged his feet on his promises to the GLBT community, but let's not get suckered by what's happening here. Attaching the Matthew Shepard Act as an amendment to the Dept. of Defense reauthorization is not an attempt to bury the hate crimes act, it's an attempt to make Obama look bad. He declared some time ago that he planned to veto the bill if it came to him with the F-22 appropriations included. Adding the Matthew Shepard Act means that when he vetos the bill now, the Congressional representatives that are fighting him will use this to make him suffer politically by painting him as a bigot to his own people. This bill should be vetoed. It includes over a BILLION dollars for an aircraft the military does not WANT. Instead of getting angry at Obama for doing what he said he would before hate crimes legislation was attached, get pissed at your representatives for wasting your money and playing politics with your protections.