People Unclear On The Concept

"We need to add the category of sexual orientation because it is so critical that we say to our lesbian brothers and gay brothers and sisters that we care about you, we include you, we want to defend you," said Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore. "And we want to say that there is no family value to be served in opposing hate crime legislation." (Emphasis added.)

Actually, it's not Senator Smith who is unclear on the concept. In context, Smith's statement sounds (or rather, reads) like a Freudian slip at worst, not a malicious comment.

I'm talking about people like Mickey Kaus, who continue to misrepresent hate crimes laws by saying they don't protect heterosexuals and create special rights for homosexuals.

The legislation, co-sponsored by the bold political cynic Arlen Specter, would "include protections based on sexual orientation, disability and gender to existing laws that target violence because of race and religion." Get it? The law would protect everyone equally, not just homosexuals. Kaus is too intelligent to claim he doesn't understand this fact, so his disingenuity must be deliberate.