Issues & Views:A lost battle in the war against "hate crime" laws

February 28, 2005

Fighting the good fight

A lost battle in the war against "hate crime" laws

Although they failed, they fought valiantly.

In the current social climate, where multiculturalism rules, it is hard to imagine that a state legislator would dare to introduce a bill to repeal a "hate crimes" law that was passed in 1990. Yet this is what happened earlier this month in New Hampshire when state Representative Elbert Bicknell introduced House Bill 136, to overturn a law that he claims discriminates against the majority of New Hampshire's citizens and depends upon the granting of special status.

Rep. Robert Boyce, one of the other three sponsors of the bill, declared hate crime laws "divisive," because they fail to treat all people equally under the law. Such laws imply that the perpetrator's thought process is more important than the crime itself, said Boyce.

The initial law, passed during the peak of anti-"hate crime" fever, adds penalties and longer sentences to crimes that are perpetrated against members of certain groups because of their race or "gender." As reported on Seacoast Online, (2/28/05), Bicknell fought for his bill on the grounds that "Enhanced penalties punish people for what they are thinking -- or for what others think they are thinking." He argued that "Real criminality must be accompanied by evidence."

Such reasoning did not prevail in the New Hampshire House, however, and Bill 136 was defeated 298-48. Not surprisingly, Rep. Bicknell and those who supported the bill suffered through the usual slings and arrows of being smeared as racists and bigots by the usual claque of "diversity" groups. Those citizens who supported the bill knew the odds were against common sense triumphing, and they are to be admired for their persistent efforts.