We asked your opinion on a proposed Hate Crime law, to include attacks against gay people.
IM 47 now , but remember when I was in my 20s back in the 80s. I had an experience that says HATE CRIMES should be against the law. Years ago, I worked in A GAY OWNED RESTRAUNT AND BAR IN FUllerton. JUST 1/2 block from the FUllerton police station in Fullerton CA. IT seems there was a hate crime at least once a week at this bar, people harrasing our customers. THREATS , customers getting beat up inthe parking lot. KNOWNING the police dept was just 1 block away. I cant tell you how many times I THOUGH people out the back door trying to come in start fights with gay customers. ME being 6ft8 and 240 lbs I was able to get people out with out a fight or much of a confrentation. On one night, the owners my managers DAVID KILBURN and AL BLACK told me that A GUY named BILLY was in the bar, and he had attacked them in the past, and also attacked the police that removed him from the bar several weeks prior to them hiring me. THEY asked me to get him out and to remind him he was banned from coming to the bar and get himout. WHILE talking to this guy, DAVID AND AL called the police. Durring the next 45 minutes to maybe over an hour , I wound up fighting this guy , the fight went out into the street. WE blocked HARBOR BLVD because the fight got so big that it stopped traffic, in the mean time Im fighting this guy because he refused to leave and attacked me, his freind as well carring a butcher knife 2 guys against me, and as the fight went out the front door an dinto the street, the patrons from the HETRO SEXUAL BAR next door came out and started throwing BEER bottles at me becasue I was winning this fight wtih these 2 guys. SO MY FEELINGS ON HATE CRIMES are very strong, all though they dont happen as much as they used to, the part that scares me is the POLICE took their sweet time coming to help me . AND I BELIEVE the only reason they showed up was becasue the fight stopped traffic on HARBOR BLVD . THEY didnt arrive til after I kicked both of these guys asses. YES WE need to include HATE CRIMES against GAYS along with all the rest of the crimes that protect other americans. ITS A SHAME that this type of crime happens today . IT makes me sick that we have to BEG for help like this when its against the law to be cruel to animals, we get tickets for parking in no parking zone, we get speeding tickets , DUI for drunk drivers. WHAT does it say about american when A TAX PAYING citizen has to do all that we do to get to be treated fairly like everyone else ? WHY should we even have to ASK that hate crimes against GAYS be included? it shouldbe a given. THIS says a lot about our country and the people that run it. TO HAVE TO ASK for HATE CRIMES AGAINST GAYS to be against the law. -- Roy
I am a straight white male , if a gay or a black kills me is that a hate crime. This is dusgusting, stop crying about everything and just live your life. -- James Jolly
There's been talk about doing away with the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, as if the civilian sector knows what's best. Trust me, this is a horrible idea, and if openly gay people are allowed to join the military, it'll be a recipe for disaster. Military life involves close contact with other servicemembers and this won't fly. As a leader of Marines, I wouldn't want any flaboyantly gay people serving with me in the combat zone. -- Greg
I think the idea of updating our nation's hate crime laws is scary... Scary because it should have been done long ago, and there shouldn't be a vote - it's just common sense! -- Gary
I feel that its about time, that we have the same protection as everyone else when it comes to violence. We have every right to be protected, and feel safe to walk the streets in any neighborhood. -- Andrew
