Heath Shuler, Hate Crimes, and NO Equality
I had written briefly about this earlier in the morning readings, but it still pisses me off. Heath Shuler, my Representative of District 11 voted NO to the Hate Crimes Legislation and then quotes political philosophy and his Baptist upbringing that teaches Homosexuality is wrong as the reasons behind his vote. Asheville has a large GLTB population that are his constituents. If he is going to say that all people are equal EXCEPT a large segment of his district that helped elect him, I think he better question his Baptist upbringing. Many a Republican bellows about teachers instructing and influencing youth to a more liberal outlook and how that is wrong. MR. Shuler your instruction is WRONG and you should question whether you want to isolate a voting block. If your Baptist upbringing is the basis for all your votes, then I suggest you switch parties. I seriously doubt you are reading political philosophy except the works of Newt Gingrich and Ann Coulter.
If all people are EQUAL then why do you deem homosexuality as wrong? Your Baptist past is not a good enough excuse. Many enlightened people are able to worship and still accept gays and lesbians as genuine people. You sir are not one of those enlightened people. Perhaps, you are one of those "I have gay associates and they are nice enough and I will use for a vote, but they are moral cesspools who are not worthy of legislation to protect their safety." If all people are equal, then sexual orientation is NOT an issue. Rethink your stance!
I was not keen on you in this past election, but you were the only option as Charles Taylor was a corrupt, self-serving miscreant. I can appreciate a TRUE fiscal conservative, but your stance on women’s reproductive health I find obtuse. Now this vote of NO for legislation that provides protection and resources for prosecution for Hate Crimes against sexual orientation, but also African-Americans and women, means you could care less about EQUALITY. You would rather people killed or beaten to a pulp than see their attackers prosecuted fully under the law. Physical Hate Crimes are a vicious assault on specific groups of people and deserve harsher penalties. If this kind of absolute HATRED is not deemed improper, then we might as well split off into different alike communities and not attempt to exist peacefully. With this vote Mr. Shuler, you give legitimacy to physical attacks because of pure HATE and that is not what this country needs. If you want true EQUALITY among the citizens then you should help your fellow compatriots accept one another, not give them permission to act upon their hatred. Divergent opinions are what make this country great, but when those differences evolve into physical violence, something has to be done.
Your newly embraced Blue Dog Democrat title is rather annoying because you appear to embrace Republican Social Issues, not only those of wasteful spending of government funds. Are lunches with Lieberman on the agenda?
If all people are EQUAL then why do you deem homosexuality as wrong? Your Baptist past is not a good enough excuse. Many enlightened people are able to worship and still accept gays and lesbians as genuine people. You sir are not one of those enlightened people. Perhaps, you are one of those "I have gay associates and they are nice enough and I will use for a vote, but they are moral cesspools who are not worthy of legislation to protect their safety." If all people are equal, then sexual orientation is NOT an issue. Rethink your stance!
I was not keen on you in this past election, but you were the only option as Charles Taylor was a corrupt, self-serving miscreant. I can appreciate a TRUE fiscal conservative, but your stance on women’s reproductive health I find obtuse. Now this vote of NO for legislation that provides protection and resources for prosecution for Hate Crimes against sexual orientation, but also African-Americans and women, means you could care less about EQUALITY. You would rather people killed or beaten to a pulp than see their attackers prosecuted fully under the law. Physical Hate Crimes are a vicious assault on specific groups of people and deserve harsher penalties. If this kind of absolute HATRED is not deemed improper, then we might as well split off into different alike communities and not attempt to exist peacefully. With this vote Mr. Shuler, you give legitimacy to physical attacks because of pure HATE and that is not what this country needs. If you want true EQUALITY among the citizens then you should help your fellow compatriots accept one another, not give them permission to act upon their hatred. Divergent opinions are what make this country great, but when those differences evolve into physical violence, something has to be done.
Your newly embraced Blue Dog Democrat title is rather annoying because you appear to embrace Republican Social Issues, not only those of wasteful spending of government funds. Are lunches with Lieberman on the agenda?
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