Hate Crimes, continued

Well, after my post on my opposition to hate crime statutes, Andrew Sullivan decided that he to would venture into the subject after seeing an article in the Washington Times.

Andrew:

The GOP hysteria over this hate crime law, as opposed to all the others, seems obviously a case of prima facie homophobia. That bigotry obscures the serious case to be made that all these laws are unnecessary infringements on freedom of thought and corrosive of equality under the law.

The Washington Times:

Once homosexuals become a special class protected by hate-crime legislation, the back door is open to prosecuting those who speak out against homosexuality and same-sex marriage.

This touches on another reason for opposition: free speech. As much as I am against things like racism, homophobia, xenophobia, and other discriminatory attitudes, I would fight to the death to preserve that right for everyone - including those who would use such right to defame me. When we criminalize hate crimes, we are in effect criminalizing the speech they use when they commit the regular crime - the reason I specify speech is because that is the only true way that police can discern the intent of hate. This country is above that. I am opposed.