From: Don Strietelmeier
Columbus
Hate crime legislation. Sounds like a good ideas. Everyone should hate crime. But, the type of hate crime legislation local "leaders" are pushing for places a higher priority and value on people over others based on various factors.
American laws, freedoms and traditions have been based on equal rights and equal justice.
Local "leaders" are calling for a list of protected classes. That leaves me and my family out. Why would I want a law that puts a higher value on a protected class than a member of my family or my neighbors’ family?
This sounds similar to some who favor federal gun control of law abiding citizens but have hired guns for their own personal safety.
The mayor says it’s time for Indiana to do the right thing in passing a bias crime bill with a list of protected classes. If there are protected classes, who are the unprotected classes?
Cummins says this type of law is needed to recruit and retain top talent. Cummins has often boasted on what they have done for equality. How about equal justice as well?
The governor wants this legislation mainly to get Indiana off the list of states without hate crime legislation. Why not stand up for Indiana and support equal justice?
The thought of passing this preferred classes legislation causes me great concern and raises questions for me. In the future, would schools encourage and then require teaching and promoting that being gay is completely normal and a preferred lifestyle? Would anything said negatively about a protected class be considered hate speech and be banned? Would churches be expected to allow gay couples to marry in the church? And, if any church dare to follow the Bible’s stand on marriage, could it lose its tax-exempt status or face some form of retribution?
It is not right or just to define the seriousness of a crime based on a protected class. Everyone should have equal protection, and a crime against anyone should be dealt with equal justice.
