Cole: "Thought Crimes Bill is Unconstitutional"

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Tom Cole (OK-4) today strongly opposed the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007. This legislation imposes additional federal penalties for having prohibited thoughts, and would eliminate any concept of "equal justice" under the law, dividing Americans into different classes of people subject to different protections under the law.

"I strongly believe that every violent crime should be justly punished according to the crime, not according to race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or social status," Congressman Cole said. "All victims should have equal worth in the eyes of the law. This bill creates unequal treatment of victims by treating crimes against protected groups more seriously than non-protected groups."

According to the bill, justice will depend on whether the victim is a member of a protected category. The bill calls for crimes involving a protected category to be punished more severely than crimes inflicted on a non-protected category.

In 2005, Oklahoma reported 41 hate crimes to the FBI. FBI statistics show that the incidence of hate crimes has actually declined over the last ten years.

Unfortunately this bill passed the House with a majority vote of 237 to 180. The President plans to veto the bill in its current form if it reaches his desk

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