In the Family Values Voter Information Guide, 77th Assembly District candidate Christine Rubin states that she supports hate crimes legislation. This position is antithetical to conservative thought.
It is important for the readers of Rostra to know that I am deeply opposed to the concept of thought crimes legislation. I say thought crimes because the emphasis of such legislation is to have a chilling effect on thought and speech.
By embracing hate crimes legislation, Rubin aligns herself with liberal groups such as The Southern Poverty Law Center and the ACLU. These groups have pushed for hate crimes legislation so as to give selected groups a preferred minority status, ignoring the fact that the law already provides equal protection for all. These protections do not however extend to speech. The reality of recent hate crimes legislation in Europe is that speech is no longer protected.
In Stockholm, Pastor Ake Green was sentenced to prison for condemning homosexuality from the pulpit. Pastor Jim Garlow said to the La Mesa City Council in opposition to a proposed Hate Free Resolution, “Freedoms are being lost.” Many believe that enacting hate crimes legislation is the way in which the state will further muzzle conservatives as they wish to do with the anti talk radio agenda of the Fairness Doctrine.
Please See links below for validation of statements:
www.aclu.org/lgbt/gen/29605prs20070503.html
www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/2009/05/15/la-mesa-rejects-hate-free-resolution
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Jim Kelly is a longtime conservative activist and an elected member of the Grossmont Union High School District Governing Board