Washington, D.C. – Thursday, Congressman John E. Peterson, R-Pleasantville, voted to ensure that justice should be blind to personal traits of victims. On a party-line vote, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act passed the House on a vote of 237 to 180.
“Should this bill become law, ‘equal justice for all’ would no longer be the case. Rather, this measure will categorically grant certain groups rights over others. It’s my view, and a core belief of mine, that all crime victims should have equal standing in the eyes of the law, apart from race, sex, or status,” remarked Peterson, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee. “At the end of the day, every crime is a ‘hate crime.'”
This legislation would require law enforcement officials to probe, infer, and deduce if a crime occurred “because of” bias towards a protected group. A criminal’s thoughts will be considered an element of the crime, which the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt.
Peterson highlighted the negative effect this measure would have on local law enforcement nationwide. If enacted, law enforcement would be forced to research an offender’s past to determine if he or she has ever expressed hostility toward a protected group. Opening the door to an offender’s thoughts and beliefs puts law enforcement officials in a difficult position that burdens their time and resources.
Peterson noted that under this bill, criminals that kill a homosexual, transvestite or transsexual would be punished more harshly than criminals who kill a police officer, a member of the military, or any other civilian.
Historically, such legislation has been reserved for the states. In fact, the underlying offense is already fully and aggressively prosecuted in all 50 states. Forty-five states and the District of Columbia already have specific laws punishing hate crimes, and federal law already punishes violence motivated by race or religion in many contexts. Congress should federalize local crimes only after it is clear that state and local law enforcement officials cannot combat those crimes on their own. Specifically, under current law, hate crimes are defined as any crime of violence that is motivated by the victim’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin.
“The Democratic leadership continues its pandering to special interest groups rather than putting the people’s business first. While our troops wait for funding in the Middle East, House Democrats are focused on the political scorecard,” said Peterson, who represents the second largest district east of the Mississippi River. “Furthermore, current laws already on the books cover crimes that would be prosecuted under this legislation.”