|
|
|
|
Politically Incorrect = Hate Crime? Will "Thought Police" soon come after Bible believers? By Ken Raggio
From "Politically Incorrect" to PRISON?!
In January of 1999, David Howard, an aide to the District of Columbia's Mayor Anthony Williams, resigned his job as a result of controversy over his use of the word "niggardly" in a financial report. The Mayor and a large number of local citizens criticized his use of the word as a racial slur. However, Webster's 10th Edition Dictionary defines niggardly as "grudgingly mean about spending or granting." Niggardly implies miserliness or stinginess - it has no racial connotations whatsoever. But in a society that is increasingly paranoid about being "politically correct," a person's words can cause tragic consequences. "Politically Correct" is a catch phrase for modern speech protocol. From the Beltway in D.C. to Ivy League halls and corporate boardrooms, every citizen is now facing monumental pressures to adhere to strict, albeit unwritten guidelines in public and sometimes private conversation. Innocuous as it may sound, these social trends which force people to speak within certain guidelines forebode an ominous development - an evolution toward "thought police," similar to the Gestapo and Gulag days from early in the 20th Century. Imprisoned for Criticizing the Government? Famous Russian dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was arrested in 1945 for writing a letter in which he criticized Joseph Stalin. He spent eight years in prisons and labor camps, after which he spent three more years in enforced exile. He was "rehabilitated" in 1956, but spent the rest of his life exposing the horrors of a system where millions of people were enslaved or killed for nothing more than being politically incorrect. Andrei Sakharov denounced the Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan in December 1979. Within days, the Kremlin responded by banishing him to Gorky, 250 miles east of Moscow. He was never charged, tried before a court of law, or convicted. His exile continued for six years. His crime - he was politically incorrect! "Political correctness" destroys freedom of speech. But even worse, political correctness is another term for protecting the devil. Political correctness does not protect the good. It protects the evil. Political correctness protects abortion. Political correctness protects a hostile gay agenda. It protects radical left-wing socialist agendas. It protects anti-Christian, anti-God, anti-Church agendas. Few Americans truly realize that freedoms of speech and thought are being radically infringed upon IN THE UNITED STATES! Imprisoned For Hating Someone In Canada, a person may already be sentenced to a 5-year prison term for merely "speaking words that incite to hate." Yes, you can go to jail for making a hateful statement! On March 27, 1996, Winnipeg police arrested a 17-year-old Canadian teenager for sending the following e-mail message to a local political activist: "Death to homosexuals; It's prescribed in the Bible! Better watch out next Gay Pride Week!!!" It was the first time in North America that police charged an Internet user with committing a hate crime over the Net. Section 318 of Canada's Criminal Code makes it a crime to "advocate genocide." The term "genocide" was coined in 1944, referring to Nazi Germany's attempt to destroy European Jewry. Genocide may be defined in some cases as "Causing physical harm or mental harm to a minority." "Advocating" genocide, or "causing mental harm" are issues that make the subject of hate crimes extremely controversial. Any time a court of law is empowered to condemn a man for what he advocates, or what he thinks mentally, we have entered into a world of Thought Police. And that is the same kind of world that Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Chairman Mao presided over. How far are we from such a world? Even as I did the proof-reading on this very article, I received a letter from one of my readers in Nepal, reporting that the military had invaded one of their church services, shooting twelve people. Two of them died, and the other ten were injured. Within a few days, the military knocked on his door, warning him that he had 30 days to eliminate all Christian activities, or face their wrath. That nation is attempting to force the Hindu religion on its populace. My friend concluded, "The tribulation has already begun in Nepal." But these things will not only happen in Nepal. The west has its own hazards now developing. For example - if a Christian takes a BIBLICAL stand against homosexuality, he or she may be charged with a Hate Crime. Rest assured that militant homosexual activists will stop at nothing to see that this is prosecuted and enforced. Canada's "Public Incitement of Hatred" Law, [Section 319(1) of the Criminal Code] makes it a crime to "publicly incite hatred." 319. (1) Every one who, by communicating statements in any public place, incites hatred against any identifiable group where such incitement is likely to lead to a breach of the peace is guilty of (a) an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years; or (b) an offence punishable on summary conviction. ("Communicating" in this context includes communicating by telephone, broadcasting or other audible or visible means; "statements" in this context includes words spoken or written or recorded electronically or electro-magnetically or otherwise, and gestures, signs or other visible representations.) Citizens of Canada are ALREADY being incarcerated for SAYING things that are "politically incorrect"! In addition, "hate crimes" have been narrowed down to "inciting hate" - so if you make someone hate someone else, you may find yourself in jail. (Please note that this is NOT an argument in favor of hatred, or hate crimes, but it is a wake-up call to protect and preserve our freedoms of speech and religion.) Matthew Shepard was a 21-year-old homosexual who was beat to death by those who hated his homosexuality. LAMBDA, a homosexual activist organization, noted that "the fatal beating of 21-year-old University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard in 1998, apparently motivated at least in part by his homosexuality, has renewed the debate over hate crime legislation. The murder prompted calls from gay activists, editorial pages, and public officials, including Attorney General Janet Reno and President Clinton, for passage of the 1998 Federal Hate Crimes Protection Act." At this writing, forty-five US states already have substantial hate crime laws in force. Thirty-one states criminalize violence based on victims' sexual orientation. Only twenty-two states protect religious worship. Twelve states criminalize violence based on victims' gender identity. Clinton's Hate Crime Legislation Some states now have varying versions of Hate Crime legislation. Not all states designate particular prejudices such as racial, ethnic, sexual and religious hatred and violence as criminal. Bill Clinton's administration introduced a Federal bill in 1998 that would preempt all states' legislation, and allow federal prosecution of crimes motivated by hatred based on gender, sexual orientation, and disability. It did not pass when it was first introduced in November 1998. It was reintroduced in 1999, but failed again. Gay Congressman Barney Frank presided over the 237-180 vote in the House, but it failed in the Senate. Similar legislation is still being foisted into law. A proposed 2009 federal hate crime law would cover a wide range of violent hate crimes pertaining to race, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, sexual identity, gender and disability. Fortunately, the First Amendment of the US Constitution still protects so-called "hate" speech. Why do I say "fortunately"? I repeat that this article is not arguing in behalf of hate-speech, but in behalf of FREEDOM of speech. The GREAT DANGER is that the courts will define a litany of religious beliefs as hate crimes. It will be a tragic day when preachers and Christians will be locked up for preaching Biblical convictions that vicious anti-Christian forces simply want stamped out. All they have to do is make our preaching and teaching a hate crime. If FREEDOM of speech is taken from us, THOUGHT POLICE will soon have all so-called "right-wing extremists" in jail. What is a Hate Crime? Congress defines hate crime as "a crime in which the defendant intentionally selects a victim, or in the case of a property crime, the property that is the object of the crime, because of the actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of any person." (Section 280003(a) of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 [28 U.S.C. 994 note]. In short, the sentence for a crime may be increased if it can be shown that HATE against any of a particular list of minorities was a factor. (Example, a 20-year sentence might become a 40-year sentence merely because of something that was said.) According to the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division of the FBI, there were only about 7,947 hate crime incidents reported in the year 1995. Sixty-one percent of the incidents were motivated by racial bias; 16 percent by religious bias; 13 percent by sexual-orientation bias; and 10 percent by ethnicity/national origin bias. For a relatively small number of specified crimes, America stands to lose its freedom of speech and freedom of religion if legislation of this kind continues to put the squeeze on Americans' thoughts and speech. We Must Maintain The Distinction Between ACTS Of Violence And So-Called "Hate" Speech A criminal ACT can be corroborated. It can be verified. It can be documented. But THOUGHTS AND INTENTIONS CANNOT! Anytime the government attempts to get into the human mind, BIG TROUBLE IS BREWING. Without a doubt, hate crimes around the world are rampant. But that is not the same as "hate" speech. Arnold Aronson, President of the Leadership Conference Education Fund, an organization that fights against hate crimes, says, "In troubled places such as the former Yugoslavia, the Middle East, Northern Ireland, Rwanda, and Burundi, we are witnessing once again the age-old tragedy of people committing horrific acts of violence against each other because they refuse to look beyond their differences to respect each other's inherent human dignity." Hate crimes are not only happening in third-world countries. The United States is witnessing an escalating occurrence of this kind. The Columbine High School massacre in Colorado was committed by young men known to have racial, ethnic and sexual prejudices. The Southern Poverty Law Center of Montgomery, Alabama breaks down a menagerie of hate groups into the following categories: Klan, Neo-Nazi, Skinhead, Christian Identity, Black Separatist and others. Anyone who exhibits prejudices of any kind against any one of a variety of groups might be perceived as a potential or actual perpetrator of a hate crime. Nevertheless, not everyone who has uttered words of prejudice was the perpetrator of crime. Additionally, there is a great disparity in what one person perceives as prejudice, as compared to what another person deems to be prejudice. Do you want the police passing judgment on all YOUR conversations? One of the first Federal laws was "The Hate Crime Statistics Act of 1990," signed into law by President George HW Bush on April 23, 1990. It required the Justice Department to gather and publish statistics on crimes (including murder, rape, assault and arson) motivated by racial, ethnic, religious or sexual prejudices. The attorney general was made responsible for defining whether a crime contained elements of prejudice. That is a frightening power for a government agency to possess. Then Congress authorized the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1992 to combat hate crimes committed by youths and to reduce prejudice based on race and religion. The Act requires juvenile delinquency programs in every state to address hate crimes. The Hate Crimes Sentencing Enhancement Act, passed in 1994, included as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, increased sentencing for a crime by one-third if it is proven to have been a hate crime. In 1996, Congress passed and President Clinton signed into law (PL 104-155) the Church Arson Prevention Act. This law increases prison sentences from 10 to 20 years for those who intentionally vandalize religious property because of race, color, or ethnicity. What Comes Next? As the New World Order rapidly deploys all its dictatorial tactics including dissolving national sovereignties, controlling nations' armies, prosecuting world citizens in its newly formed World Court, and countless other "Big Brother" agendas, we can expect to see the clamps tighten on everything we SAY, THINK and DO. One of the New World Order's preeminent spokesmen, Mikhail S. Gorbachev, has said in his book, PERESTROIKA, (Hardback edition, pg. 231), under "19 points toward International Peace and Security," "We must extirpate all genocide, apartheid and RELIGIOUS exclusiveness" (emphasis mine). Extirpate Religious Exclusiveness? Extirpate means, "to pull up by the roots; to destroy totally; exterminate, abolish." Gorbachev's statement must be taken to mean that as the New World Order finally accomplishes its "Great Plan," anyone who is prejudiced in any way must be exterminated. That not only includes those who are guilty of racial or sexual or ethnic prejudice, but also those who are religiously exclusive. Unless I am having a serious brain malfunction here, I think that if anyone feels they need to "extirpate" me because I am a fundamentalist Christian, THEY are prejudiced, and THEY are guilty of genocide, apartheid, religious exclusiveness and hate crimes!! When the government finally cracks down on people for their religious beliefs, THEY are committing hate crimes! It is the pot calling the kettle black. But that is the nature of the beast. Religious Exclusivisity - Crime of the Church If a Judeo-Christian Bible believer declares that homosexuality is a sin, he or she instantly becomes the perpetrator of a crime under hate crime legislation. Those who commit this crime may be incarcerated and charged exorbitant fines. Even worse, we may find that it is a Federal (or International) Crime to teach that Jesus Christ is the only way to God and that false religions will be condemned to hell. Some Christian activists in America are pursuing legal and political defenses against such crack-downs, but the international community is hastily preparing more and more legislation that can and will be used against Christians and Christian values. The United Nations, the World Court, the UN Interfaithism movement and sister organizations will not stop until that purpose is accomplished. Before long, we will no longer be protected by historic domestic laws, because these offenses will become international misdemeanors and felonies, prosecuted in International Courts. No citizen of any nation will be exempt. It is time for Christians to intercede both in prayer and in urging their respective governmental officials to not only DELAY the implementation of any further legislation of this kind, but also to effectively put a stop to any and all of Big Brother's intention to take away our God-given privilege to think and speak what we believe in our hearts. If a murder or other crime is committed, let the sentence be handed down - but leave our thoughts and speech alone. If we don't turn the tide? Revelation 13:15 says, "And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed." This verse is one of many that prophesies a world of controlled thoughts and beliefs. Our world government will attempt to force us to take a Mark and cause us to worship in a system, even if it is against our beliefs. If we think to do otherwise, we will be under the penalty of death. We will have completely lost our freedoms of speech and religion. NOW is the time to preach and teach what we know the Bible says. NOW is the time to stand for the TRUTH of God's word. NEVER FORGET that God's word is the ultimate universal law. In Acts 5, Peter and the apostles were put into prison for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Overnight, the angel of the LORD came and released them. But more than that, the angel instructed them to GO BACK TO THE TEMPLE and continue preaching! That only antagonized the officials. They brought the apostles before the local council to prosecute them. "Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men," Acts 5:29. It is of paramount importance for Christians to realize that we have the highest calling on earth - to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every creature. No power on earth; no government, no law, no court, has jurisdiction over the Gospel or the Word of God. Almighty God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof. We are HIS people and the sheep of HIS pasture. We are obliged to serve Jesus Christ above all others. May God give us all the courage and the strength and the favor to continue to speak the TRUTH while we yet live. In Jesus' name. Amen. Written Spring, 2005 I am continually writing new content for this site. Please return often for more material, and tell your friends about www.kenraggio.com , too! THANKS! And God bless you! Ken Raggio 
Click here for BOOKS and VIDEOS by Ken Raggio ALL ARTICLES WRITTEN BY KEN RAGGIO, Copyright 1988-2010 Articles may not be republished on the Internet without express permission. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Thanks for coming by! E-mail This Article To A Friend
Please Donate To This Ministry |