Thursday October 28, 2009 The Federal Hate Crimes Bill (the Matthew Shepard Act Passed)

Have you ever read Superman comic books? As you were reading did it ever occur to you that Superman was not so much the story of a lone individual of heroic proportions rather, he was the representation of an ideology; the embodiment of a national culture which has grown under the banner of freedom, liberty and human rights for all.

The impact of free speech is that it allows for the continuance and maintenance of ideals which permeate throughout a culture and reverberate throughout the more global society of humans.

Yesterday, October 28, 2009 we witnessed the influence of free speech as a bill was signed into law recognizing and upholding the equality that belongs to all humans. Through this bill a long denied population gained a foothold toward the recognition of their inherently human quality, the one true quality that binds us to each other.

People tend to overlook the deeply underlying quality which unties the human race preferring instead to see only the superficial. In like manner, many fought against this legislation for superficial reasons. Many, however, fought against this bill because they understood that these words, written into the ideology of our nation, would establish a legitimacy from which power could be gained.

Yes, power has been gained, but it was not power to be granted in the first place, but power that belongs to every human.

Unfortunately, all that was granted was the recognition that power IS ours – Now we must gain the rights that others would seek to withhold using the power that legitimacy bestows.

Thanks Superman!

yep, this new law also approves...

War Funding

The legislation Obama is to sign authorizes $130 billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with about $7.5 billion designated to train Afghan security forces.

What about the LGBT (s) in Afghanistan ?????

I guess we get to kill them, still.....

it's about damned time!

Wow,, THAT was uncalled for. You never know who is living that lifestyle (and I personally dont think we need to know) but whatever sexual choices people make, they shouldnt be mistreated. It is sad that we need to point this out in this day and age. So many groups are discriminated against,, gay people, fat people, poor people, and it is a sad blight on human existence that we should need 'laws' stating that they cant be mistreated or harmed. WE are all human and none of us perfect.

More "BULL" from a government not of the "people"---superman--thats a good one!

There is all ready laws protecting people from crime!
I think it was a waste of time to even pass this law.
Giving certain groups special laws, does that not discriminate against those of us who don't fit in those groups?

I'm a white male, blond hair blue eyes. I want a law that make it a federal crime if someone commits voilence against me!

Believe it or not, I have thought of that too. A crime is a crime but penalties vary based upon intent. Discrimination laws in education and employment are one thing, when discrimination has been proven to deny equal opportunities. I am not sure if the same applies to crime but I can hardly oppose the stand that was made.

Obama’s statement makes no mention of the $560 million authorized for continued development of a second engine for the Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.


another campaign promise broken.....

I wonder if all these are covered, as well.

1. Apotemnophilia - sexual arousal associated with the stump(s) of an Amputee
2. Asphyxophilia - sexual gratification derived from activities that involve oxygen deprivation through hanging, strangulation, or other means
3. Autogynephilia - the sexual arousal of a man by his own perception of himself as a woman or dressed as a woman (p. 574)
4. Bisexual - the capacity to feel erotic attraction toward, or to engage in sexual interaction with, both males and females
5. Coprophilia - sexual arousal associated with feces (p. 576)
6. Exhibitionism - the act of exposing one’s genitals to an unwilling observer to obtain sexual gratification (p. 569)
7. Fetishism/Sexual Fetishism - obtaining sexual excitement primarily or exclusively from an inanimate object or a particular part of the body (p. 570)
8. Frotteurism - approaching an unknown woman from the rear and pressing or rubbing the penis against her buttocks (p. 570)
9. Heterosexuality - the universal norm of sexuality with those of the opposite sex
10. Homosexual/Gay/Lesbian - people who form sexual relationships primarily or exclusively with members of their own gender
11. Gender Identity Disorder - a strong and persistent cross-gender identification, which is the desire to be, or the insistence that one is, or the other sex, "along with" persistent discomfort about one’s assigned sex or a sense of the inappropriateness in the gender role of that sex (p. 576)
12. Gerontosexuality - distinct preference for sexual relationships primarily or exclusively with an elderly partner
13. Incest - sex with a sibling or parent
14. Kleptophilia - obtaining sexual excitement from stealing
15. Klismaphilia - erotic pleasure derived from enemas (p. 576)
16. Necrophilia - sexual arousal and/or activity with a corpse (p. 576)
17. Partialism - A fetish in which a person is sexually attracted to a specific body part exclusive of the person (p. 576)
18. Pedophilia - Sexual activity with a prepubescent child (generally age 13 years or younger). The individual with pedophilia must be age 16 years or older and at least 5 years older than the child. For individuals in late adolescence with pedophilia, no precise age difference is specified, and clinical judgment must be used; both the sexual maturity of the child and the age difference must be taken into account; the adult may be sexually attracted to opposite sex, same sex, or prefer either (p. 571)
19. Prostitution - the act or practice of offering sexual stimulation or intercourse for money
20. Sexual Masochism - obtaining sexual gratification by being subjected to pain or humiliation (p. 573)
21. Sexual Sadism - the intentional infliction of pain or humiliation on another person in order to achieve sexual excitement (p. 574)
22. Telephone Scatalogia - sexual arousal associated with making or receiving obscene phone calls (p. 576)
23. Toucherism - characterized by a strong desire to touch the breast or genitals of an unknown woman without her consent; often occurs in conjunction with other paraphilia
24. Transgenderism - an umbrella term referring to and/or covering transvestitism, drag queen/king, and transsexualism
25. Transsexual - a person whose gender identity is different from his or her anatomical gender
26. Transvestite - a person who is sexually stimulated or gratified by wearing the clothes of the other gender
27. Transvestic Fetishism - intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving cross-dressing (p. 575)
28. Urophilia - sexual arousal associated with urine (p. 576)
29. Voyeurism - obtaining sexual arousal by observing people without their consent when they are undressed or engaged in sexual activity (p. 575)
30. Zoophilia/Bestiality - engaging in sexual activity with animals (p. 576)

Grassroots movement - get with the ticket - don't like the way the government passes laws, make them change it...

The laws were made FOR YOU, that's why we need specially worded laws so poeple like you will understand that you are not the only one covered guaranteed protection under the law.

A few of them are still illegal and should be.

And of course they will be protected if they are not illegal as a form of sexual orientation.

You have been protected all along. More so than others in most cases.

Black slaves were imancipated in 1863 - tell me, what was the purpose for the equal rights ammendment of 1963? Why was it neceassary and why would anyone have thought to add, at the last minute, women and handicapped people under that law?

When you figure it out, apply the same concepts to the GLBT.

What campaign promise covered that?

How more so?
I don't see anything in the laws that say white, blond haired, blue eyed men have more protection than others.

Last winter, Obama taped ads outlining his intent to slash defense spending. He said, “I will slow our development of future combat systems."

Yet the legislation still contains an effort by lawmakers to continue development - over the president's strong objections - of a costly alternative engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the Air Force's fighter of the future. A vague White House veto threat about that never came to fruition.

it may not be directly in the law...but it's definitely in the execution of such laws.

How so?
If someone murders someone because of race, or sexual orientation they still get charged with murder. Or have I missed something?