Just in time for the president to sign new hate crimes legislation, a West Virginia woman has announced that the ordeal she allegedly suffered through at the hands of white supremacists in 2007 was a hoax.
As for the legislation, I have a problem with this on a couple of different levels. For example- if the sentencing should be escalated in a crime where the assailant was motivated by some form of prejudice or hatred to attack the victim, should the sentencing also be increased in the event somebody filed false charges to authorities and perjured themselves such as in this instance or with the Duke lacrosse team a few years ago?
Would hate crimes charges be filed against Abdulhakim Muhammed/Bledsoe in the shooting death of US Army Private William Long and the wounding of Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula in Little Rock, AR earlier this year? Abdulhakim's actions certainly seemed to be motivated by hatred.
Don't get me wrong- bashing somebody's skull in because the assailant didn't like the victim's skin color, religion or sexual preference is pretty horrible. But instead of prosecuting somebody for not liking homosexuals or latinos or what have you....couldn't they be prosecuted for....I dunno- maybe bashing somebody's skull in? I mean- doesn't that carry some pretty heavy jail-time in and of itself? Kind of reminds me of the old In Living Color 'Partner' cop-show parody where the cool, suave detective is killed and the dopey, clueless partner is the one who has to investigate the murder. Cut to 'Partner' chasing one of the suspects at a crosswalk where the light is turning red. The suspect keeps running and the by-the-book partner waits for the light to change and shouts out after the guy 'HA! I've got you for murder one and jaywalking!!'
I can't really think of this as anything more than invasive PC overreaching from this Congress and this President.
Never let a good crisis go to waste, and if necessary manufacture one. Certainly won't get the coverage that the girl who carved the backwards b in her face and claimed Obama supporters did it to her got.
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