What I say: This is bullshit, it makes me want to throw up. Grandma getting it off her chest in a letter - probably written in a pretty, cursive hand with pen and ink - is not a fucking hate crime."I've never been in any kind of trouble before so I was stunned to have two police officers knocking at my door," she said. "Their presence in my home made me feel threatened. It was a very unpleasant experience."
Christian campaigners condemned the police action as "alarming" and warned that freedom of expression was under threat, while the homosexual equality group Stonewall said the officers' visit had been "disproportionate".
The pensioner had written to Norwich [England] council complaining about its decision to allow the march in the city centre in July, at which she claims she was verbally abused. In the letter, she wrote: "It is shameful that this small, but vociferous lobby should be allowed such a display unwarranted by the minimal number of homosexuals." Mrs Howe referred to homosexuals as "sodomites" and blamed "their perverted sexual practice" for sexually transmitting diseases as well as the "downfall of every Empire".
She argues that she is not homophobic, but was expressing her deeply held religious beliefs. However, Bridget Buttinger, deputy chief executive at the council, replied to Mrs Howe in September, warning that she could face being charged with a criminal offence for expressing such views. "As a local authority we have a duty along with other public bodies to eliminate discrimination of all kinds," she wrote.
"A hate incident is any incident that is perceived by the victim or any other person as being motivated by prejudice or hatred. A hate crime is any hate incident that constitutes a criminal offence. The content of your letter has been assessed as potentially being hate related because of the views you expressed towards people of a certain sexual orientation." She added: "Your details and details of the content of your letter have been recorded as such and passed to the Police."
Remember guys, it's just one short step from being oppressed to being an oppressor. While we fight for our rights and freedoms, we must also tolerate other people's right to speak their minds, even if we totally disagree with what they say: that's the American way.
As long as the other guy is free to say what he thinks, you are too. That's very, very important. Because nobody is above criticism - man, woman, black, white, straight, or gay.
I'm with Grandma on this one, guys, bless her little tea-sipping heart - how about you?
Update: In case anyone is still confused, this is a hate crime:
A gay man is fighting for his life today following a vicious gang beating in Liverpool city centre.
The 22-year–old, who the ECHO understands is a trainee constable with Merseyside police and has been named as James Parkes, was attacked by up to 13 people at 10pm last night when out with three friends on Stanley Street.
He is currently in hospital with multiple skull fractures, a fractured eye socket and a fractured cheek bone.
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3 comments:
Yep, way overboard. But, she has her facts wrong. In every empire where Christianity has become th e dominate or state religion, they have fell.
Good point Dave. In fact, *all* empires of the past have risen and fallen - the gay thing is simply a non-issue.... unfortunately it seems to be something a lot of Christianists "just know".... being totally ignorant of history.
In fact, the Roman Empire "fell" - a long, drawn-out process, not a sudden event as the word would imply - a century and a half *after* it was taken over by the Christians (who enacted the death penalty for homosex).... contrary to popular belief about all those pervy pagans wrecking the house.
St. Augustine wrote a whole book about this, The City of God, trying to answer the pagan charges that it was the *Christians* who had let the empire decline.... makes very interesting reading.
You also ahve to look at the time when Grandma was raised in. I do think it was not a hate crime threaten letter. I know it is different where ever we are, but you have to llok at the time period when people was brought up.
Ray
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