Inserting "hate crime" legislation into defense bill

I guess I'm just not smart enough when it comes to the National Defense Authorization Act since I don't see any way it relates to hate crime legislation. Apparently the Democrats are far more enlightened because they do see a connection. One big enough to combine the two bills together to the protests of Republicans.

The first reason was that Republicans saw no reason for these two items to be combined. The other had to do with the First Amendment. Senator Sam BrownbackSenator Sam Brownback proposed an amendment that said construed or applied in a manner that infringes on any rights under the First Amendment if such exercise of religion, speech, expression, or association was not intended to plan or prepare for an act of physical violence or incite an imminent act of physical violence against another." The amendment passed the full senate and gave the Republicans cover to support it.

Then the bill went to the Democraticly-dominated committee where the real fun starts. The House bill did not have the hate crime legislation in there so it was added. Brownback's amendment, which had been passed by the full senate, was also changed significantly. Now there's an exception to it if the government can show a "compelling interest."

A little something about the addition. It is called the Matthew Sheperd and James Byrd Jr. hate crimes prevention act. Byrd Jr. was targetted for being black however Sheperd's murder was shown by Elizabeth Vargas of 20/20 to be about money and drugs. President Obama said that he would sign the bill and bring America closer to a country where it is safe to be gay in America. According to the FBI in 2007 there were 1,477 anti-religion hate crimes whereas there were 1,460 crimes motivated by sexual orientation. Of those 1,460, 59.2% were against gay men while 68.4% of 1,477 were against Jews. So statistically, your more likely to be targetted for being Jewish.

Abortion is legal in the United States so perhaps it is a fallacy to bring it up when discussing hate crimes although I think I must. Of the unborn diagnosed with Down Syndrome, are aborted. Patricia E. Bauer writes that it even feels like a duty to do so. Dr. Gerald Brungardt calls this "Handiphobia" and a casual view of bioethics and the "quest for the perfect child" shows that it is far more prevalent and accepted.

And it won't end with "hate crime." several other countries such as Canada and Sweden have shown where this road leads such as defining the Bible as "hate speech."