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Victims' family members laud hate-crime laws at convention
By CALVIN WOODWARD, Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (August 16, 2000 8:14 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - Families of some recent crime victims were pressed into service Wednesday to showcase Al Gore as a crusader for gun controls and hate-crime laws.
To underscore the need to attack hate crimes, the Democratic National Convention called on Judy and Dennis Shepard, parents of a gay University of Wyoming student who was beaten and left to die on a fence. Ross Byrd and Rene Mullins, the children of a black man who was chained to a truck and dragged to his death in Texas, also appeared.
"Hate crimes must die but my father's legacy must live on," Mullins told the crowd. "America has a choice in November." Texas delegates chanted as she finished: "Never again in Texas."
Dawn Anna, the mother of Lauren Townsend, who was killed in the Columbine High School shootings in Colorado, was among the people enlisted to speak about how crime and guns have upended their lives.
A coalition of activists who are pressing for hate-crime legislation said the presence of Matthew Shepard's parents and James Byrd Jr.'s children helped drive home a contrast between Gore, who supports giving federal prosecutors more leeway in bringing hate-crime charges, and his Republican presidential opponent, George W. Bush.
Bush, the Texas governor, says "all crime is hate crime" and declined to support legislation in his state last year to expand hate-crime laws.
In even tones, Dennis Shepard told the delegates "everybody has the right to be different" but his son was not given that right.
"This is not a gay rights issue," he said. "This is a human rights issue."
From the floor, Puerto Rican delegate Andrew L. Praschak held up a rainbow flag signifying gay unity as the Shepards were on stage. He said that because of his party's support for hate crime legislation, "at least I feel that somebody cares about me."
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I thought everyone was supposed to get equal treatment under the law. Hate crime legislation is racist against "the majority." Thats right, you heard me. You better believe that there wouldn't be an uproar over a nasty murder of an individual unless they were gay or some other race than white. And you best believe it. These people are saying that the murderer deserves a harsher punishment because it was a "hate-crime." I thought murder was murder no matter what the cause. You want your tougher penalties? Then up the ante.
Maybe I should convince my family that if I'm ever murdered, then to suggest that I was gay. (Disclaimer: I am not gay) That way, I could ensure that justice would be served because it was a "hate-crime."
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God, Guns and Guts made this country a great country!
Victims' family members laud hate-crime laws at convention
By CALVIN WOODWARD, Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (August 16, 2000 8:14 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - Families of some recent crime victims were pressed into service Wednesday to showcase Al Gore as a crusader for gun controls and hate-crime laws.
To underscore the need to attack hate crimes, the Democratic National Convention called on Judy and Dennis Shepard, parents of a gay University of Wyoming student who was beaten and left to die on a fence. Ross Byrd and Rene Mullins, the children of a black man who was chained to a truck and dragged to his death in Texas, also appeared.
"Hate crimes must die but my father's legacy must live on," Mullins told the crowd. "America has a choice in November." Texas delegates chanted as she finished: "Never again in Texas."
Dawn Anna, the mother of Lauren Townsend, who was killed in the Columbine High School shootings in Colorado, was among the people enlisted to speak about how crime and guns have upended their lives.
A coalition of activists who are pressing for hate-crime legislation said the presence of Matthew Shepard's parents and James Byrd Jr.'s children helped drive home a contrast between Gore, who supports giving federal prosecutors more leeway in bringing hate-crime charges, and his Republican presidential opponent, George W. Bush.
Bush, the Texas governor, says "all crime is hate crime" and declined to support legislation in his state last year to expand hate-crime laws.
In even tones, Dennis Shepard told the delegates "everybody has the right to be different" but his son was not given that right.
"This is not a gay rights issue," he said. "This is a human rights issue."
From the floor, Puerto Rican delegate Andrew L. Praschak held up a rainbow flag signifying gay unity as the Shepards were on stage. He said that because of his party's support for hate crime legislation, "at least I feel that somebody cares about me."
[/quote]
I thought everyone was supposed to get equal treatment under the law. Hate crime legislation is racist against "the majority." Thats right, you heard me. You better believe that there wouldn't be an uproar over a nasty murder of an individual unless they were gay or some other race than white. And you best believe it. These people are saying that the murderer deserves a harsher punishment because it was a "hate-crime." I thought murder was murder no matter what the cause. You want your tougher penalties? Then up the ante.
Maybe I should convince my family that if I'm ever murdered, then to suggest that I was gay. (Disclaimer: I am not gay) That way, I could ensure that justice would be served because it was a "hate-crime."
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God, Guns and Guts made this country a great country!