Kennedy Claims New Recruits 'Extremists'

I understand why Cox and Forkum and so many of the other conservative bloggers that I often read are getting away from politics - it is as messy as the Augean stables and as hard to clean.

Ted Kennedy has managed to tack a hate crimes amendment onto the pending defense authorization bill. In his defense of the amendment he claims that "military recruiters, struggling to meet quotas, are enlisting extremists these days, 'putting our soldiers at higher risk of hate-motivated violence.'” So now (according to Kennedy) our new recruits are 'extremists' and bigots and homophobes.

Check below for some other articles with more details about this bill:

Iraqi Insider

Kennedy's Defense Priorities by Byron York

Senators Add Hate Crimes Measure To Defense Authorization Legislation

And finally an article at World Net Daily

I have always wondered why the left is so all-fired hot for hate crimes bills. I think that they are patently absurd. All crimes are hate crimes. Have you ever heard of a "love" crime? Yes, there are crimes of passion, but that isn't what I'm talking about. Why do we need a special federal law for crimes against "protected" groups? Are there not laws against murder? Are there not enough laws protecting people from assault? Can we not find any legal protection against slander?

I think that at the core of this whole issue is homosexuality. Apparently it hurts people's feelings to find out that their lifestyle is immoral. This isn't terribly surprising. Adulterers, fornicators, liars, cheaters, thieves, rebels, gossips and all other manner of sinful people don't particularly like to be told that what they are doing is not OK with God. Apparently Senator Kennedy doesn't like for people in the military to have first amendment rights. It would seem that he would rather trample on the constitution, causing our military's freedom of expression and religion to no longer be considered "protected" so that a few people don't get their feelings hurt.

It would seem that the whole purpose of this amendment is to benefit the homosexuals serving in the military. Kind of makes you wonder... If being a homosexual isn't a bad thing or an immoral thing, then is it slander to call someone "gay?"

Well, it hurts my feelings when people call me fat. Nevermind the reality that I am, in fact, overweight. Being called fat hurts my feelings. It also hurts my feelings that I am judged by people before they even know me based on my size. Besides, there are more fat people in America than there are homosexuals. This being said, I demand that obesity be included in this hate crimes legislation as a protected class. As a protected classmember, I should be shielded from my condition by the eradication of the words obese, fat, corpulent, etc from all dictionaries. Big and tall ads should never have anyone under 250 pounds in them. All clothing stores should be required to carry large sizes. Ads suggesting that being overweight is bad or not attractive should be banned as hate speech. And doctors should face civil penalties for suggesting that their patients should lose weight. Nevermind that it might save their life.

Of course I'm not serious, but Kennedy's amendment is just as absurd as the last paragraph.

The thing that really irks me is that Congress can manage to pass stupid amendments like this one while really beneficial ones can't get a sponsor. The system is so broken. I know of a proposed amendment right now that would be a huge benefit to all Americans. It would not cost American taxpayers one red cent, but would save them millions - if not billions - once implemented. But can it see the light of day in the Senate? Not when there are much more important matters to tend to - like making sure no one's feelings get hurt by being confronted with the truth.

Would you like to see how your Senators voted on this issue? Click HERE and check them out. Let them know what you think.