Text 7990, 76 rader
Skriven 2005-01-25 09:55:00 av Darryl Perry (1:106/324)
Ärende: Hate Crimes
===================
What's your feelings on this?  If the beating/killing of a Satanist can
garner a greater penalty than the assasination of the President of the US,
then are those laws fair?

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January 13, 2005

Attack on Satanist shows absurdity of hate crime laws

WASHINGTON -- The decision by New York prosecutors to treat the beating of a
Satanist as a hate crime provides more proof that the bizarre legal doctrine
must be overturned, Libertarians say.

"What in heaven's name are these prosecutors thinking?" asked Joseph
Seehusen, executive director of the Libertarian Party. "When a law
supposedly designed to protect religious minorities is being used to protect
devil-worshippers, our criminal justice system has been turned upside down."

Self-described Satanist Daniel Romano, who sports black clothing and
fingernails and wears a prominent crucifix upside-down, was attacked on
Sunday by two teens who jumped from a car, yelled "Hey Satan" and beat him
with a metal club and an ice scraper. 

On Tuesday, Queens district attorney Richard A. Brown said the victim was
attacked because of his "religious" beliefs -- the youths thought he
worshipped Satan -- and announced that the two young men, Paul Rotondi and
Frank Scarpinito, would be charged with "second-degree assault as a hate
crime" and two other charges, which could carry a 15-year prison term. 

Under such a bizarre interpretation of the law, thugs who assault a Satanist
because of "religious bias" could be punished more severely than if they
attack a priest, rabbi, or any ordinary American and steal their wallet,
assuming they're motivated only by greed, Seehusen noted. 

And someone who murdered a Satanist because of a religious motivation could
get a harsher penalty than someone who assassinated the president because of
a political motivation.

"Is the life of a priest, rabbi, president or any ordinary American worth
less than that of a Satanist?" he asked. "In the bizarre world of hate-crime
legislation, the answer is yes -- because their murderer would get a less
severe punishment."

But the main issue isn't whether Satanism actually constitutes a religion,
and should therefore be covered under hate crime laws, Seehusen said.

The point is that hate crime laws are totally unnecessary because every
violent crime is already covered under existing laws.

"The individuals who attacked Daniel Romano should be charged with second
degree assault, period -- not second degree assault as a hate crime," he
said. 

"The concept of equal justice under the law requires that bigots be punished
not because they assaulted a Satanist, but because they assaulted a human
being. Police and prosecutors should focus on punishing all violent crimes,
not on those which happen to be politically incorrect."

In addition, hate crimes are nothing more than thought crimes, in which
people are punished for what they think, not for what they do, Libertarians
note.

"Bigotry is despicable, but it shouldn't be illegal," Seehusen said."The job
of government is to punish people who harm others, not to improve their
character. Until politicians understand that mission, Americans in New York
and elsewhere have the right to ask just what the devil has gone wrong with
our justice system."

Gryphon, aka Darryl Perry
Sysop of Cyberia BBS, Kingwood, TX.
telnet://cyberia.darktech.org

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 * Origin: Oh Jesus, deliver me from your people! (1:106/324)