Hate crime survivor Todd Metrokin recounts his brutal attack
outside a Washington DC pizza shop on CNN
The following is an excerpt from "After 10-year dispute, expansion of hate crimes law to gays signed" by Perry Bacon Jr. published by the Washington Post. For the full article, follow the link at the end of the page.
When a gay Wyoming college student was slain in 1998, congressional Democrats pledged to broaden the definition of federal hate crimes by the end of that year to include attacks based on sexual orientation.
The effort instead turned into a decade-long proxy war between liberal groups that want to expand gay rights and conservative groups that do not. But Wednesday, President Obama signed the bill and then hosted a White House reception for gay activists and the parents of the slain student, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard.
"After more than a decade of opposition and delay, we've passed inclusive hate crimes legislation to help protect our citizens from violence based on what they look like, who they love, how they pray or who they are," Obama said after the signing.
During that period, the House and the Senate separately approved the hate crimes expansion numerous times. But congressional Republicans repeatedly used legislative tactics to block final passage, arguing that most crimes that would fall under the law could be prosecuted under other statutes, and conservative groups such as the Traditional Values Coalition said the legislation would turn "homosexual behaviors as well as cross-dressing, transvestism, and transsexualism into federally-protected 'minority' groups."
This year, with enlarged majorities in Congress, Democrats attached the hate crimes law to a $681 billion defense spending bill this month over GOP objections. House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) said the approach put "radical social policy" on the "back of our soldiers."
The legislation extends provisions first passed in 1968 that make it a federal crime to target individuals because of their race, religion or national origin. Under the law, judges can impose harsher penalties on crimes that are motivated by such animus, and the Justice Department can help local police departments investigate alleged hate crimes.
Gay author and political commentator Andrew Sullivan quotes a reader:
"To paraphrase Dan Savage, it is true that hate crimes legislation will not create a force field around gay people and instantly provide them with new levels of protection from anti-gay violence. Hate crime legislation does, however, allow the federal government to provide resources to local governments as they investigate and prosecute hate crimes. In the Shepard case, prosecuting Matthew's two killers cost the county US$150,000, forcing the county to furlough five employees (according to the Matthew Shepard Foundation's website). While hates crimes legislation would not have protected Matthew from the rage of his killers -- nor would it have added more time to their prison sentences -- it could have provided much-needed resources as Laramie struggled to deliver justice. I think this last point should not be dismissed so out of hand." - "No More Matthew Shepards, Ctd"
Gay news blog Queerty on Todd Metrokin's comments in the CNN package:
But let's make one thing clear: In this segment's opening package, hate crime survivor Todd Metrokin retold his brutal story outside a pizza shop. Telling that story is important. But Metrokin's statement is misleading: "[Hates crimes laws] at least gives you a sense of safety, and that adds value."
Hate crimes laws should not give LGBTs a sense of safety.
They do not prevent anti-gay attacks. You think harsher punishments and federal funding for investigations factor into the mind of an attacker? They don't. So don't go around thinking Obama signing the Matthew Shepard Act makes you safer walking down the street. And nobody should be sending that message. Especially the gays. (Kudos to Dan to reminding viewers as much.)