Email from PFAW. hate crimes bill

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PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY December 4, 2007







Dear _____,

One of this year's few clear progressive victories in Congress could be reversed this week -- but we can keep it from happening!

Please call your representative today and urge him or her to keep the Matthew Shepard Act in the Defense Department authorization bill.

http://www.pfaw.org/go/ContactYourRepresentatives

The Matthew Shepard Act updates federal hate crimes laws to prevent and punish violent crimes targeted against people based on their gender, sexual orientation, disability, or gender identity -- violent crimes that target individuals based on race and ethnicity are already covered. I believe that anytime an individual is singled out for violent attack based on who they are is an injustice that affects all of us -- and poisons our society. And most members of Congress agree. The Matthew Shepard Act passed both houses of Congress -- and even got the 60 votes needed to overcome a right-wing filibuster in the Senate.

But the Radical Right is dead set against any legal protections for gay people -- and they're waging a fierce campaign to get hate crimes dropped from this bill.

I'm writing to you as a People For the American Way board member who knows how frustrating it has been to see Congress -- with its bare Democratic majority -- stymied by the Right on so many priorities. That's just one more reason we cannot let a rare victory be overturned by threats from the White House or lack of courage by congressional leaders.

But I also write to you as a Baptist preacher who cannot stomach the thought of Religious Right leaders declaring victory in a campaign based on lies.

I am disgusted that so many religious leaders -- who claim to speak for the truth -- have waged such a dishonest campaign against the hate crimes bill. They have said over and over again that the bill is a plot by liberals to silence pastors -- or even worse, the first step to throwing Christians in jail! These are the kind of lies told every day by Religious Right leaders who claim that we're on the verge of seeing Christianity criminalized, who say that advocates for equality want to silence or destroy the church.

Of course, it's false. The hate crimes bill has nothing to do with restricting religious liberty and includes explicit language protecting the First Amendment rights of anti-gay preachers and everyone else. But stoking fears of anti-religious persecution is one of the far right's favorite weapons.

You and I know how ridiculous these charges are, but millions of Americans don't. They hear these lies over and over again from people they trust -- their pastors and TV preachers and political leaders. And they take action.

They're waging a relentless campaign to reverse our victory against violent hatred. Don't let them win.

http://www.pfaw.org/go/ContactYourRepresentatives

One reason I'm so proud to be a member of People For the American Way is that we are willing to take on the far right. And -- very importantly -- we are mobilizing pastors and other people of faith who will fearlessly take on the false prophets of the Religious Right.

Please take action today.

Rev. Timothy McDonald III
Chair of African American Ministers In Action
Board Member of People For the American Way

P.S. The politics around the defense authorization bill are complicated -- some progressive members of Congress will not support the final bill because it authorizes war funding. But that's a separate issue from the hate crimes provision. Dropping the Matthew Shepard Act would be a huge and dispiriting giveaway to the Bush administration and its allies on the Religious Right. Please call your representative now and tell them not to let the Right reverse our victory over hatred and violence.