My wife sent this to me this morning, I am perplexed at our government's ability to further control and strip away our rights as Americans. I do believe under the next President, their control, along with democratic control of House and Senate, a massive push toward socialism, one world order, Police state is imminent. This is just my opinion. I will probably be arrested for this
Bill
LAW OF THE LAND
Christian belief a 'hate crime' under plan
Backup proposal would mandate jail time for dissing a 'gay'
Posted: March 3, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
The National Prayer Network is promoting a campaign aimed at
defeating "hate crimes" proposals
Americans worried about new "hate crime" legislation that could be
used to make criminals of those whose religious faith doesn't
endorse homosexuality could be facing a two-pronged attack,
according to groups that monitor those developments.
The newest threat is being prepared by U.S. Rep. John Conyers, the
head of the House Judiciary Committee, whose work is being called
"The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007,"
according to the Rev. Ted Pike, of the National Prayer Network.
He said a letter to other members of the House was intercepted by
Focus on the Family and indicated that it "gives the federal
government even more power to create a bias motivation justice
system, turning America into a police state."
Michael Marcavage, director of Repent America and Pike both had
alerted their constituencies earlier to H.R. 254, or the David Ray
Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which could create "anti-hate"
restrictions and penalties.
Marcavage told WND that plan would invert American justice, and
instead of requiring evidence it would leave it to someone who
claims to be offended to determine whether a "crime" has been
committed.
"Truth is not allowed as evidence in hate crimes trials. … A
homosexual can claim emotional damage from hearing Scripture that
describes his lifestyle as an abomination. He can press charges
against the pastor or broadcaster who merely reads the Bible in
public. The 'hater' can be fined thousands of dollars and even
imprisoned!" Marcavage said.
So there immediately was a flood of calls to Congress with
opposition to H.R. 254 and it appeared that the plan might not make
it out of committee. In fact, records show it still is pending in
the House Judiciary Committee
But Pike is says the danger is far from over.
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Rev. Ted Pike, of the National Prayer Network
"I think H.R. 254 may be a decoy, designed to absorb the bulk of
protest from Christians and conservatives. Because of massive
protest, it may be voted down or set aside in Judiciary soon. But
Conyers will then substitute the bill that's really wanted by the
Anti-Defamation league of B'nai B'rith, architect of this
legislation," Pike said.
"Conyers could reintroduce this bill very soon. Since Nancy Pelosi
and the House Rules Committee can speed any bill forward for a House
vote, even bypassing Judiciary altogether, Conyers and Pelosi could
almost immediately put LLEHCPA at the head of the docket and up for
a vote in the House," he said.
Pike said the same plan passed the House in 2005, but not the
Senate. This year, "buttressed by a host of co-sponsors and
virtually untainted by criticism, it could be sped forward," he
said.
But he said mainstream media has remained virtually silent, and "the
vast majority of Americans remain oblivious to the existence of the
hate bill in Congress, or how it dangles like the blade of a
guillotine over our precious and vulnerable liberty," Pike said.
"Now more than ever, 'eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,'"
Pike said.
As WND has reported, such laws already have been used around the
world, where in Canada pastors are fearful of reading biblical
injunctions against homosexuality, and in Australia where two
pastors were convicted of "vilifying" Islam.
The H.R. 254 plan, proposed by Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Texas, is
"stealth legislation at its most devious," Pike said earlier. He
said people take a glance, and then say, "This bill just wants
federal power to prosecute bias-motivated violent crimes in the
states – what's wrong with that?"
"There's plenty wrong with that!" he said. First, the Constitution
does not grant federal government the "police state privilege" of
being your local law enforcement. "Unless the government finds
evidence of slavery in the states, jury tampering, voter fraud, or
crimes involving interstate commerce (where jurisdiction is
unclear), the Constitution's message to the federal government is
blunt and emphatic: 'Butt out of local law enforcement!'"
However, Pike said the authors of the new legislation have been
clever, inserting in the proposal assertions that because five
states do not have hate laws, the federal government has "no choice"
but to "enhance federal enforcement of hate crimes." That includes
new ranks of federal agents to address the "serious national
problem" that exists.
Worse yet, there are some key phrases that open doors wide that many
people don't want opened. For example, Pike said, the bill is to
"prevent and respond to alleged violations," meaning "the government
does not even have to wait until a hate crime has been committed but
may act pre-emptively to 'prevent' crime."
Peter LaBarbera, of Americans for Truth, noted that in Canada and
France both, legislators have been fined for publicly criticizing
homosexuality. Three years ago, a Swedish hate crimes law was used
to put Pastor Ake Green, who preached that homosexuality is a sin,
in jail for a month.
"And recently, a British couple told how they were denied the chance
to adopt because it was determined that their Christian faith might
'prejudice' them against a homosexual child put in their care,"
LaBarbera added.
Already in the United States, Catholic Charities of Boston halted
all adoption operations in the state after being told under
Massachusetts' pro-'gay' nondiscrimination law, only agencies that
placed children in homosexual-led households would get licensed by
the state.
He suggested a visit to StopHateCrimesNow to hear the testimonies of
those who have had first-hand experience with so-called "hate
crimes" laws. A 75-year-old grandmother describes how she was jailed
for testifying about the Bible, in the United States.
Members who commented on a blog expressed alarm.
"This lays the groundwork for the 'thought police,'" said "onlymom,"
while "curveboy" said, "the implications of such a bill would put
dissent of the government under hate speech and (offenders could) be
arrested and thrown into detention camps... hate bill legislations
needs to be dealt with in a fine line. once crossed there won't be
any freedom of speech...."
Repent America, some of whose members already have served jail time
simply for proclaiming the biblical message, is joining in sounding
the alarm.
"Having been charged under Pennsylvania's hate crimes law for
declaring the truth about homosexuality, I can assure you that if
this bill is passed and signed into law, it will be used to put
Christians behind bars," said Marcavage.
Prayer for our nation
Moderator: carlson1
Prayer for our nation
retired CHL Instructor
