May 15 2007  Hate Crime Laws, and the Difference Between Speech
and Evidence  BillAs you may have heard, there’s a bill winding
its way through Congress that would expand the current Federal
hate crime law to include hate crimes committed over sexual
orientation, transgender identity, gender, or disability. (The
current law covers hate crimes committed because of race, color,
religion, or national origin.)  PhoneI’m not just writing this
to beg everyone reading this blog to write or call your
Senators. (Although I’m doing that, too. Please, for the love of
all that is beautiful in this world, write or call your
Senators. This passed in the House, but it’s facing a fight in
the Senate, and I’m hearing that the calls against the
legislation are far outstripping the calls supporting it. It
takes two minutes. Google your Senators’ names, find their
official Websites with their phone numbers, and call them.
Please do it.)  Hate_crimeBut that’s not the only point of this
post. I’ve had a rant brewing for some time