Do you support the Matthew Shepard act?

[alfreda89]

The Senate is still taking comments from constituents about the Matthew Shepard Act. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 1 in 6 acts of violence in this country are committed against gay, lesbian, bi and transgendered citizens. Sexual orientation is not included in the hate crimes laws of many states, especially in the deep South. So, it appears we need Federal legislation to give law enforcement muscle to back it up.

If you are one of the 68% of Americans who believe that such behavior against citizens and visitors to our land is totally unacceptable, take a moment to fill out a form and let your Senators know how you feel.

This is one of those things that deeply bigoted groups can whip their followers into a frenzy over -- so every letter that points out the silent majority's feelings is needed.

http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/campaign/fighthate_senate_support?rk=k7zdHeY1X%2d6mE

Comments

[lagilman]

I, apparently and not unsprisingly, do not live in a target area (yay for liberal blue!) but will share my advice -- if you can, edit the form letter to a more personalized content. Page after page of the same thing has less effect than new words sending the same message.

this was what I planned to send:

Dear Senator:

You've heard the statistics. You've seen the polls, and read the feedback from paid and volunteer lobbyists.

Forget all of that. Remember one thing. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS. If any one of us is protected from hate-driven abuse, then we all must be protected, no matter what the cause of that hatred, that abuse.

Saying that someone is not worthy of protection is to deny them worth. It is to deny them humanity. Is that the message this Senate wants to send?

I urge you to vote for this very important legislation, and to bring our federal hate crime laws into the 21st Century, by ensuring that ALL of our citizens are protected against ALL hate-crime violence.

Sincerely,

Good point --

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

I always try to change, edit, add information on my own strongest interest in the case, etc. This one was difficult, because you couldn't use their form to change the first line.

To everyone else -- yes, change from the boilerplate! It's more likely that someone on staff will really read the thing!

[incandragon.livejournal.com]

What makes a hate crime law different from a law saying "don't hurt someone"?

Generally --

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

-- it means laws where people who, say, hang around gay bars to specifically beat up gays, and if they hit him a little too hard and cripple or kill him, it's not looked on as just a crime against Joe somebody -- it was a crime targeted at not just an individual but a group of people. And sentencing will fall heavier on them.

Like kids setting homeless people on fire when they find them asleep or too drunk to notice what's up.

Yes -- a lot of miserable excuses for people out there, doing very bad things to their karma....