Wednesday, October 14, 2009

And the Evil Party makes a direct attack on free speech

The Democrats(Evil Party, in case you weren't aware) stuffed a Special Double-Protected Species law(formally called a Hate-Crimes Bill) into a defense bill. And then made it a Direct Attack On The 1st Amendment Bill, as well.
Republican Sen. Sam Brownback offered an amendment saying the bill could not be "construed or applied in a manner that infringes on any rights under the First Amendment" and could not place any burden on the exercise of First Amendment rights "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 Senate passed Brownback's amendment. After that, several Republicans, their fears allayed, voted for the whole defense/hate crimes package, which passed the Senate last July
.
and then,
First, the committee -- controlled by majority Democrats, of course -- inserted the hate crimes measure into the House bill, where it had not been before. Then lawmakers made some crucial changes to Brownback's amendment. Where Brownback had insisted, and the full Senate had agreed, that the bill could not burden the exercise of First Amendment rights, the conference changed the wording to read that the bill could not burden the exercise of First Amendment rights "unless the government demonstrates ... a compelling governmental interest" to do otherwise.

That means your First Amendment rights are protected -- unless they're not
.
'a compelling governmental interest'. Like telling opponents "Stop causing me problems or you'll go to jail", maybe? Like saying "Your opposition is annoying me, and I can screw you over if you keep it up" maybe?

Found at Ace

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