Holder flubs reasons 'hate crimes' needed

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, lobbying for a new "hate crimes" law during a hearing before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, fumbled a number of explanations and failed to cite cases that in the last five years have been "improperly prosecuted," a video reveals.

The recent hearing, featuring Holder as the principal witness, was more than two hours long and is posted online by the committee.

On the VDARE blog, Patrick Cleburne wrote about what he called "Holder's chilling blunders."

"Holder attempted to justify passage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Instead, he worked against it. Holder emphatically said most Americans are not given equal protection with homosexuals (and homosexual pedophiles) by the hate bill. Holder also presented no evidence that states are failing to prosecute hate crimes and need big government to get involved!

"This is a desperately serious matter. With a politicized judiciary, who knows where it will go?" he continued.

Responding to a question from Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., about protections for U.S. soldiers from hate-related crimes, Holder admitted "the statute would not necessarily cover that."

Sessions had cited the fatal assault by a Muslim on a U.S. soldier because of the attacker's perception of U.S. military attacks on his homeland.

Sessions was unchallenged in his assessment that the law, dubbed by opponents "The Pedophile Protection Act," would provide "special protections" for only some people in the U.S.

The hearing was on the "The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009," for which a now-concluded special Fed Ex campaign to warn U.S. Senate members of the dangers of the bill dispatched more than 705,000 letters.

Here's the outline of why Christians are being silenced across America. Get it now!

The letter-writing effort was organized by WND columnist Janet Porter, who also heads the Faith2Action Christian ministry. It allowed citizens to send individually addressed letters to all 100 senators over their own "signature" for only $10.95.

Joseph Farah, WND founder and editor, said, "We don't know of any campaign in history that can document more letters going to all U.S. senators than this one.

"If somebody knows of one, please tell me. Win or lose, this was a unique effort and certainly won't be the last of its kind," he said.

Part of the FedEx campaign of letters from citizens opposing the "hate crimes" bill.

WND has also reported the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 would provide special protections to homosexuals, designating them as a "protected class." However, it could leave Christian ministers open to prosecution should their teachings be linked to any subsequent offense by anyone against a homosexual person.

It garnered its nickname when Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, suggested an amendment during its trek through the U.S. House that would specify pedophiles could not use the law to protect their activities.

Majority Democrats flatly refused.

Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention has said such a law – by definition – requires judges to determine what those accused of crimes were thinking.

"This could create a chilling effect on religious speech, connecting innocent expression of religious belief to acts of violence against individuals afforded special protections," he wrote. "The criminalization of religious speech, such as speech against the practice of homosexuality, has already been seen in other countries with similar hate crimes legislation in place."

Radio talk icon Rush Limbaugh has also warned his audience about the advancing threat of "hate crimes" laws.

"Some people are going to be put in jail for things that they say," he said. "Hate crime legislation. That's where they determine what's in your mind when you commit a crime. That's when they decide what you were thinking … If you were thinking unapproved thoughts, that would make the crime you committed even worse."

President Obama, supported strongly during his campaign by homosexual advocates, has indicated that he would like to see the legislation become law.

"I urge members on both sides of the aisle to act on this important civil rights issue by passing this legislation to protect all of our citizens from violent acts of intolerance."

Under questioning from Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., Holder admitted that "hate" was involved the Muslim man's attack on the U.S. soldier.

"There's a certain element of hate in that, I suppose," he admitted, leading Coburn to conclude, "What we're willing to do is elevate those crimes (verbal or physical attacks on homosexuals) over this very intended hate crime (a murder.)"

"There are lots of other groups, decent people who might need additional protection if the federal government had all the money in the world and the time to investigate," Sessions added.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, was specific, asking what crimes have developed that have not been addressed adequately by current laws and prosecutions.

Holder avoided a direct answer, saying, "Well, I have some in my prepared remarks."

Coburn tried again, "Do we have good stats telling us we're not (prosecuting) these crimes?"

"Do we have stats that states are failing? Which states are regularly or systematically failing to prosecute?"

"I don't think we can say there is a trend among the states or local jurisdictions for failing to go after these kinds of crimes," Holder admitted.

To other questions, Holder responded, "I don't know."

Sessions said, "I'll ask you again. Cite me some cases of significance that have not been properly prosecuted in the last five years."

Again, Holder deflected the question.

Rick Scarborough of Vision America says voters should rise up en masse and contact their senators to oppose the plan.

Stephen Di Benedetto writing at Infozine reported on a request from the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights that the senators reject the plan.

"I see little evidence that there is a trend among state law enforcement officials to ignore violent crimes motivated by prejudice," Hatch told Holder.

It was only in Holder's written statement that he cited cases in which states allegedly failed to prosecute to his satisfaction.

Coburn also noted the 45 states that have hate crime legislation. Only Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, Wyoming and Indiana do not. He asked if those five states are failing to prosecute hate crimes.

Holder said he did not have the information.

David Rittgers wrote on the Cato-at-Liberty website the hearing revealed "the dark underbelly of the Senate."

"The road to undermining the rule of law is being paved with the best of intentions and casual disregard (if not outright hostility) for the principles of limited government and equality under the law," he wrote.