'Hate Crimes' Law Violates Equal Justice Under the Law, Infringes on Free Speech and Religious Liberty

'Hate Crimes' Law Violates Equal Justice Under the Law, Infringes on Free
Speech and Religious Liberty

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Family Research Council
President Tony Perkins released the following statement after the House of
Representatives approved a "hate crimes" provision within the defense
authorization bill:

"By granting a special protection for a particular group, we diminish
protections and thereby penalize everyone else. This is the ironic but
unavoidable result of measures like the thought-crimes bill passed today,"
said Perkins.

"This measure is about giving special rights based solely on sexual behavior.
We applaud the 146 Members of Congress of both parties who had the courage to
oppose this otherwise popular bill because it was burdened with this
irrelevant provision. It violates the principle of equal justice under the
law and also threatens to infringe on the free speech rights of the American
people.

"Congress should protect all Americans equally and not provide special
protections to a few politically favored groups. A vote in favor of so-called
'hate crimes' legislation is a direct violation of the Constitution's Equal
Protection Clause, since all violent crimes are hate crimes, and every victim
is equally important. All of our citizens deserve equal justice under the law.
Do we somehow care less about victims violently assaulted in the act of
robbery or during a personal dispute than we do about those assaulted because
they belong in a federally designated, politically motivated category?

"This also sets us on a slippery slope toward serious infringements of the
freedom of speech and freedom of religion. 'Hate crime' legislation will lay
the legal foundation and framework for investigating, prosecuting and
persecuting pastors, business owners, and anyone else whose actions reflect
their faith," Perkins concluded.

SOURCE Family Research Council

JP Duffy or Maria Donovan of the Family Research Council, +1-866-FRC-NEWS