Two hundred and fifty years ago, American colonists who criticized King George III would find themselves arrested and thrown into prison. Sometimes they lost their businesses, homes and families because of their sedition to the crown. The colonists had no freedom of speech to criticize the king, parliament or even a British citizen.
When James Madison and George Mason penned the Bill of Rights, there was a reason why they made the freedom of speech part of the First Amendment. It was the right to speak freely and openly criticize the government that was a right they fought for. They knew that in order to have a republic, not a democracy, the freedom of speech was a vital importance to its success. (In a democracy, people don’t need the right for free speech as the people elect their own dictators.)
Over recent years, we have seen our freedom of speech being challenged and diminished by the whining’s of a liberal minority. Now, we are on the verge of losing our First Amendment right to freedom of speech.
Massachusetts Senator Edward Markey (D) and New York Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D) have introduced the Hate Crime Reporting Act of 2014. The opening of the bill reads:
“To require the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to update a report on the role of telecommunications, including the Internet, in the commission of hate crimes.”
“The report required under subsection (a) shall— “
‘‘(1) analyze information on the use of telecommunications, including the Internet, broadcast television and radio, cable television, public access television, commercial mobile services, and other electronic media, to advocate and encourage violent acts and the commission of crimes of hate, as de-scribed in the Hate Crime Statistics Act (28 U.S.C. 534 note);”
‘‘(2) include any recommendations, consistent with the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, that the NTIA determines are appropriate and necessary to address the use of telecommunications described in paragraph (1); and”
‘‘(3) update the previous report submitted under this section (as in effect before the date of enactment of the Hate Crime Reporting Act of 2014).’’
Commenting on the bill, Markey states:
“We have recently seen in Kansas the deadly destruction and loss of life that hate speech can fuel in the United States, which is why it is critical to ensure the Internet, television and radio are not encouraging hate crimes or hate speech that is not outside the protection of the First Amendment. Over 20 years have passed since I first directed the NTIA to review the role that telecommunications play in encouraging hate crimes. My legislation would require the agency to update this critical report for the 21st century.”
“The Internet has proven to be a tremendous platform for innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. However, at times it has also been used as a place where vulnerable persons or groups can be targeted. I commend Senator Markey for his longstanding leadership with respect to combating Hate Crimes in America. He understands that in the digital era it is important to comprehensively evaluate the scope of criminal and hateful activity on the Internet that occurs outside of the zone of First Amendment protection. With the introduction of Senator Markey’s bill, we have taken a substantial step toward addressing this issue.”
By hate speech, they mean anything that offends someone else. Speaking out against homosexuality in any way could be considered to be hate speech. The televised sermon of a preacher quoting the Bible in his sermon could be considered hate speech if someone hears it and becomes offended because they are being convicted of their of the sins.
Anyone writing or posting on the Internet that criticizes homosexuals, liberal Democrats, Muslims or illegal aliens could be considered to be engaging in hate crimes. In fact, Alex Nogales, President & CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition supports the bill, saying:
“I thank Senator Markey for his career-long commitment to ensuring that we have the data necessary to confront and combat hate speech in the media that targets our most vulnerable communities. NHMC has long-recognized that an update to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s 1993 report, ‘The Role of Telecommunications in Hate Crimes’, is long overdue and desperately needed given the incredible evolution of our communications systems over the past 21 years as well as the ever-increasing numbers of hate crimes targeting Latinos and others. As the author of the original piece of legislation directing the 1993 report, there is nobody better than Senator Markey to join Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and others in calling on the NTIA to study this pressing issue once again.”
If Markey’s bill becomes law, we will find ourselves in the same situation as our Founding Fathers were in under British rule. We won’t be allowed to speak out against the government, homosexuals, illegals or dangerous religious extremists. We won’t be able to publicly teach the biblical principles on sin, homosexuality, fidelity, adultery, fornication, greed, lying, coveting and more become someone will be offended, making our words hate language.
This website and many others will be forced to shut down. Churches will be forced to compromise the Word of God or close their doors and go into hiding and meeting at underground locations.
Markey’s Hate Crime Reporting Act of 2014 is a direct attack on the First Amendment and our freedom of speech and it must be stopped in the US Senate and never allowed to become law. Contact your Senator and urge him/her to make sure this bill never sees its way out of committee because I’m certain if given the chance, Obama would sign it into law in a heartbeat.
