News from Washington DC: Senate votes to extend hate crime law

Link to the blurb off the Associated Press wire, today:

The legislation broadens federal reach to protect those physically attacked because of their gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or a disability. Current law is limited to crimes motivated by race, ethnicity or religion.

(emphesis mine -- I added it to counter the meme that the worst that the disabled face out there in the Big Bad World is patronizing pity.)

Here's a link to a longer article from DisabilityScoop:

Disability One Step Closer To Getting Hate Crimes Protections by Michelle Daiment

And I just love (irony airquotes FTW!) this quote from Senator John McCain (you know, the other guy running for president, last year):

(Quote)
Victims are traumatized enough from a crime to then be subjected to questions about their ‘race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability’ in order to pursue a crime
(Unquote)

Um...

Are you implying, Senator, that my disability is something I should be ashamed of? Or do you think I'll be traumatized talking about the fact that I'm a woman?

He, and others who oppose Hate Crimes laws on principle, argue that beating someone up or killing them is already against the law, so why give "Special protection" to people in certain minorities? Doesn't that run counter to the whole notion of "equal protection under the law?"

But hate crimes are different -- both in their intent and their effect. A hate crime, by its very definition, uses a single individual as a proxy for an entire group (or perceived group of people). If it's reported on the news that a transgendered person was found murdered, or if a disabled person, for example, and there were indications that the only motive for the crime was some aspect of this person's identity, than all the other people who share that identity will likely become fearful, and curtail their own liberty, not going out in public, and staying "Out of harm's way." That's why these crimes are committed. The physical act of the crime is against one person, but the act of terrorism is against thousands.

So, no, it's not the same as a murder committed by a jealous lover, or a thief. If I hear about such a crime on the news, I do not become afraid.


Oh, and I do like that this legislation seems to recognized that gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation are all separate catagories.