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Old December 4th, 2012 #29
Alex Linder
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HATE LAWS WORLDWIDE: WINS AND LOSSES FOR FREEDOM

By Rev. Ted Pike, National Prayer Network
December 3, 2012

http://truthtellers.org/alerts/HateL...ideUpdate.html

From my first warnings about Christian-persecuting hate crimes laws in 1989, I have always told of their creator: the Jewish Anti-Defamation League. Christian conservative leaders claimed this simple fact-stating was “anti-Semitic.” They preferred to blame homosexual activists. This year ADL took credit more clearly than ever. "Our legal experts pioneered hate crime laws and work to implement them nationwide."

Hate crimes laws are unique in the history of jurisprudence because they guarantee extra punishment for bias-motivated crimes against certain minorities in a population (homosexuals, Jews, Muslims, blacks, Latinos, etc.). Such protection is not extended to whites, Christians or males. The texts of all hate crime laws worldwide promise equal protection to everyone but do not grant it. Thus, hate laws are blatantly unconstitutional in the democracies which enforce them.

How successful has ADL been in persuading the nations to adopt hate laws? Stupendously. Since Canada’s federal hate law (Sec. 319) was passed in 1971 and Britain’s Sec. 5 of the Public Order Act in 1986, more than 60 western and eastern European nations have adopted federal hate crimes legislation, all closely modeled after the pattern supplied by ADL.

This brief article summarizes the present status of hate laws in Canada, Britain and the United States. There are some glimmers of hope against the stony backdrop of hate laws’ enshrinement in most western nations.

Canada

In 2009 the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal astonishingly declared Sec. 13 of Canada’s hate law (forbidding “hate speech” on the internet) to be unconstitutional. It was repealed by Parliament’s House of Commons in June of this year. Although Senate approval is still pending, the next great push by Canadian civil liberties groups (such as Paul Fromm’s heroic “Canadian Association for Free Expression”) is repeal of the original hate law, Sec. 319.

Meanwhile, the most horrendous legal flagellation of offenders continues, such as mathematics professor Terry Tremaine, letter writer Brad Love, and others.

Lovers of freedom everywhere rejoiced with recent acquittal from all hate crimes charges of Canadian pastor Stephen Boissoin. In 2002 Boissoin wrote a letter to the editor criticizing the “homosexual machine” and “militant homosexual agenda.” A homosexual activist claimed his feelings were hurt and blamed Boissoin’s letter for inciting an attack on a homosexual teacher in Red Deer, Alberta. The Alberta Hate Crime Tribunal found Boissoin guilty of inciting hate and fined him $7000, to be paid to the complaining homosexual. In addition to other punishments, he was gagged from publicly commenting on homosexuality for three years. His 10-year ordeal ended when two Alberta higher courts exonerated him completely.

Britain

In Britain “harassment” (causing someone “alarm or distress” or feeling insulted) is a statutory offense. Britain’s hate law, Sec. 5 of its Public Order Act, says,

A person is guilty of an offense if he (a) uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior, or disorderly behavior, or (b) displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive, or insulting, within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm, or distress thereby.

Popular British actor and comedian Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) leads popular efforts to repeal Sec. 5a. Increasing numbers of writers, comedians, political commentators, social critics and performers cannot pursue their occupations freely without fear of arrest for “insulting” someone. Evangelical Christians are especially under fire.

Sec. 5 charges are increasingly being leveled by police against conservative Christians who object to either the homosexual lifestyle or the government’s plans to institute “gay marriage.”

Adrian Smith is a Christian who recently tweeted, “If the State wants to offer civil marriages to the same sex then that is up to the State; but the State shouldn’t impose its rules on places of faith and conscience.” Although his position is held by about 80 percent of the British population, Mr. Smith was arrested and charged under Sec. 5. His employer docked his pay 40 percent!

Lifesitenews.com says, "The campaign to reform Section 5 is drawing a surprisingly broad array of supporters. . . The campaign also claims 60 supporters in the Commons and the House of Lords including UKIP leader Nigel Farage.”

After 26 years of folly and persecution of free speech, a movement in Britain very similar to that of Canada could deal a painful blow to ADL/B’nai B’rith and a resounding victory for freedom.

United States

The good news in the U.S. is that, with Republicans in control of the U.S. House of Representatives, ADL is unable to push forward new hate laws. Their HR 975 anti-bullying bill, which would make criticism of homosexual youth in U.S. education a federal offense, has languished in committee since conservatives regained power.

The bad news is that the federal hate crimes law, passed just before Republicans came to power, is now being vigorously enforced. Sixteen cases have been tried and fifteen won by the U.S. Justice Department. A recent Kentucky case misfired for the government when three out of four alleged anti-gay hate criminals were found to be bisexual themselves.

By far the most shocking threat to freedom was this summer’s conviction of 16 Amish zealots, found guilty of the federal hate crime of forcibly cutting the hair and beards of theological rivals. Hate laws have never been enforced by governments when bias-motivated acts are between members of the same minority group. After this unprecedented judgment, Christian defendants await sentencing from 17 years to life in prison for going a step further than shunning and forcibly cutting the revered beards of their Christian antagonists. This case is especially ominous because it represents government prosecution of a fairly large group of Christians, almost the number of a small church. Anti-Christian Jewish ADL relishes the possibility of wide-scale arrests of Christians, even denominations of Christians who are judged by the government to be “haters,” “anti-Semitic,” “domestic terrorists,”“seditionists” in the war on terror. The day before conviction ADL’s Abe Foxman rejoiced in testimony before a Senate committee that enforcement of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act was going forward splendidly.

ADL and the Jewish Southern Poverty Law Center yearn for someone from the right wing in America to commit a bona fide hate crime against a person or persons of a federally protected group. In his testimony, Foxman named Wade Page, Sikh temple shooter and member of a white power rock band, as proof the government should consider the anti-Zionist and anti-Islamic right as primary sources of potential hate-motivated violence. Yet ADL and SPLC remain deeply frustrated that their “perfect shooter,” an unstable person with extensive contacts and association with established right-wing groups and media, has not yet materialized.

Meanwhile, no matter how blatant, bona fide hate crimes by members of protected groups are not prosecuted as such. The Fort Hood shooter (army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan who killed 13 and wounded 29 from clear anti-American bias) was, as a Muslim, exempted from federal hate crimes prosecution. So was possibly gay activist Floyd Corkins who attacked Family Research Council offices last summer, shooting a guard in the arm and yelling disagreement with FRC’s social policies. Many other glaring examples of preferential treatment toward members of federally protected groups who commit hate crimes can be found online.

Federal and state hate laws prosecute carefully selected cases that will build legal precedent against whites, Christians, males, and members of the political right, cases authorities are almost certain to win. Each, like a brick, helps build prison walls of legal precedent against the Christian right.

Christian Conservatives avoid Jewish Hate Law Issue

Meanwhile, the religious right, largely weary of the hate law issue and its failed attempts to stem passage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act, is content that Republicans, for the moment, withstand new ADL hate bills. But, with enforcement of the federal hate law now moving forward rapidly, the time is past when the religious right can do nothing. It is vital that the numerous legal think-tanks and advocacy groups on the right begin concerted, wide-scale efforts to persuade Congress to declare the federal hate law unconstitutional. This should be extremely simple, logically speaking, since the hate law blatantly deprives most Americans of equal protection, one of America’s most fundamental values.

It is ironic and pathetic that now, with Canada having suffered under a cruel and vindictive hate law for 42 years and Britain for 26 years, significant efforts are not being made to revoke the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The ADL/Justice Department cabal is setting up the same tyranny for America; but the Christian conservative right, from fear of the Jews who are in the middle of the hate law issue, are afraid to approach it aggressively. The only exception to such massive silence is an occasional article in Joseph Farah’s WorldNetDaily holding up ADL as an expert on hate crimes/anti-Semitism definitions and encouraging evangelicals to use ADL as a trusted authority! Amazingly, the religious right only becomes increasingly obsessed with what it believes is now the number one threat to freedom: radical Islam.

In protecting ADL from criticism, the religious right believes it will avoid God’s curse on those who criticize His chosen people. Actually, by protecting ADL, the right has effectively made possible passage of 45 U.S. state hate laws, the federal hate law, and many so-called “anti-bullying” hate laws, not to mention proliferation of ADL’s hate laws worldwide, an enormous curse to America and the world.
Listen to Rev. Ted Pike and Jeff Rense discuss this article and the threat to freedom posed by the federal hate crimes law:

Host:
Jeff Rense
2 Dec 12
Topic: Ted Pike Gives an Update on Hate Laws Worldwide
Listen Download (39min, 9MB)

Rev. Ted Pike is director of the National Prayer Network, a Christian/conservative watchdog organization.

TALK SHOW HOSTS: Interview Rev. Ted Pike on this topic. Call (503) 631-3808.

National Prayer Network, P.O. Box 828, Clackamas, OR 97015