"Thought crimes" against GOP members of Congress are already illegal - but they won't support protecting gays from ACTUAL violent crimes

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Thursday, May 03, 2007
"Thought crimes" against GOP members of Congress are already illegal - but they won't support protecting gays from ACTUAL violent crimes
by · 5/03/2007 10:37:00 AM ET · Link

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How interesting is this. There already is a thought crimes law on the books - it protects members of Congress from you and me even threatening them. You go to jail for even saying something threatening to a member of Congress. Yet many GOP members of Congress are opposed to hate crimes laws covering ACTUAL VIOLENCE because they call those "special rights."

The only special rights I'm seeing is that some members of Congress are okay with actual thought crimes legislation protecting them, but they're not okay with violent crime legislation protecting me.

Typical Republican hypocrisy.

The law in question criminalizes threats to assault a member of Congress, and can be found in 18 U.S.C. SS 115(a)(1)(B) and 18 U.S.C. SS 115(b)(4). Yes, it's not only a "worse" crime if a member of Congress is punched than if your mom is punched, but it's actually a worse crime if a member of Congress is simply threatened with words than if your mom is actually punched in the face.

Do as they say, not as they do.

Labels: gay, gop congress, hate crimes

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