Hate Crimes Bill H-3738 Introduced in the South Carolina House

[Ian David]

We have exciting news from the state house! Representative Seth Whipper (D-Charleston) has introduced a hate crimes bill that extends protection to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender South Carolinians. Now we have hate crimes bills in both the House and the Senate.

Please tell your state representative to vote "YES" to the Hate Crimes Bill H-3738. Click the take action button below to send an email to your state representative.
http://eqfed.org/campaign/hc_introduced_house/w6ie7snr1wdwww8?

Remember your donations will be doubled through April 15th in support of our work in the legislature. Please donate today!
https://secure.ga4.org/01/LegislativeAction

To volunteer or find out other ways you can help, contact SCEC's legislative committee.



For Equality,

Michael Drennan
Executive Director

Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Your Representative (if you live in South Carolina)
http://eqfed.org/campaign/hc_introduced_house/w6ie7snr1wdwww8?

Below is the sample letter:

Subject: Support H-3738 on Hate Crimes

Dear ,

I am writing as your constituent to express my support for H-3738, also known as the Hate Crimes Bill. The number of hate crimes committed against people has increased greatly over the last eight years, but yet South Carolina is one of only four states in the country that has no hate crimes law. Law enforcement needs adequate tools to address hate crimes in South Carolina. I ask you vote yes on H-3738, the Hate Crimes Bill.

Sincerely,

http://eqfed.org/campaign/hc_introduced_house/w6ie7snr1wdwww8?


What's At Stake: Hate Crimes

Anti-LGBT leaders argue that hate crimes laws punish unpopular but constitutionally protected thought and speech. But hate crimes laws are designed to punish actions, not thought or speech. These critics also focus on intent, claiming that all violence is motivated based on some kind of hate, or that it is hard to prove whether a perpetrator is specifically choosing a victim because of his or her real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. The fact is, however, that the criminal justice system focuses on intent or motive all the time, particularly in sentencing. For example, the legal distinction between murder and manslaughter rests on whether the killer intended to kill, and whether it was premeditated.

In 1993, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that hate crimes laws, and enhanced sentences based upon intent, are constitutional. In his decision, Chief Justice William Rehnquist specifically noted that judges have traditionally been allowed to consider the motivation of defendants when imposing sentences. Justice Rehnquist also noted that hate crimes inflict distinct emotional harm on their victims and can trigger greater social instability.

Hate crimes send a message of terror to an entire group, and are therefore unlike a random act of violence. For example, the brutal murder of James Byrd, who was chained to the bumper of a truck and dragged down a street in Texas, sent a chilling message to African Americans that racial violence and murder remains a continued threat. Likewise, LGBT people also wonder whether they will be the next Matthew Shepard. Hate crimes laws recognize the particular social threat of bias-motivated violence. Unfortunately, anti-LGBT groups like the Traditional Values Coalition and Focus on the Family oppose hate crimes laws.

Those who murder police officers face higher penalties than people who murder civilians, and terrorists who target federal buildings face higher penalties. In 1999, Congress passed a law that created harsher sanctions for countries that persecute religious freedoms. Such laws are not viewed as valuing some lives more than others. Instead, they send a message that certain crimes that strike at core American values, such as the freedom to live free of persecution, will be punished and deterred by both enhanced penalties and federal involvement in the investigation and prosecution of the crime.

Campaign Expiration Date:
June 9, 2007

http://eqfed.org/campaign/hc_introduced_house/w6ie7snr1wdwww8?

[BR_Parkway]

1. Great news