I got this idiot newsletter from the Libertarian Party - Could this be genuine??!!

[FormerFundie2004]

My response:
Newsletter text below

I am questioning whether or not this is a genuine message sent from the Libertarian Party. If it is, I am very insulted.

In your message you assumed that I was stupid enough to believe and gulp down your biased lies.

You stated: "Under such a bizarre interpretation of the law, thugs who assault a Satanist because of "religious bias" could be punished more severely than if they attack a priest, rabbi, or any ordinary American..."

This is a blatant lie. If the motivation is rooted in religious bias, the punishment would be the same for attacking a priest, rabbi, or satanist. If a person hates a priest because they hate Catholicism, they will be punished just the same as if the attacked a stanist because they hated satan worship.

You think I am that stupid? I'm getting off your email list.

"...and steal their wallet, assuming they're motivated only by greed, Seehusen noted."

If it is proven that they are motivated by greed alone and not by religious bias, they will not be punished for a hate crime. Get a GRIP, IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You stated: "Is the life of a priest, rabbi, president or any ordinary American worth less than that of a Satanist?" he asked. "In the bizarre world of hate-crime legislation, the answer is yes -- because their murderer would get a less severe punishment."

RELIGION IS PROTECTED UNDER HATE CRIMES LAWS AND THEREFORE IT IS A HATE CRIME TO COMMIT AN UNLAWFUL ACT AGAINST ANY PERSON OF ANY RELIGION OUT OF MOTIVATION OF RELIGIOUS BIAS.

--- Libertarian Party Announcements <info@hq.lp.org> wrote:

>
> ====================================
> NEWS FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY
> 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Suite 100
> Washington DC 20037
> World Wide Web: http://www.LP.org
> ====================================
> For release: January 13, 2005
> ====================================
> For additional information:
> George Getz, Communications Director
> PressReleases@HQ.LP.ORG
> ====================================
>
> Charges in attack on ‘Satanist’ in New York
> show absurdity of hate crime laws, Libertarians say
>
> WASHINGTON -- The decision by New York prosecutors
> to treat the beating of
> a Satanist as a hate crime provides more proof that
> the bizarre legal
> doctrine must be overturned, Libertarians say.
>
> “What in heaven’s name are these prosecutors
> thinking?” asked Joseph
> Seehusen, executive director of the Libertarian
> Party. “When a law
> supposedly designed to protect religious minorities
> is being used to
> protect devil-worshippers, our criminal justice
> system has been turned
> upside down."
>
> Self-described Satanist Daniel Romano, who sports
> black clothing and
> fingernails and wears a prominent crucifix
> upside-down, was attacked on
> Sunday by two teens who jumped from a car, yelled
> "Hey Satan" and beat him
> with a metal club and an ice scraper.
>
> On Tuesday Queens district attorney Richard A. Brown
> said the victim was
> attacked because of his “religious” beliefs -- the
> youths thought he
> worshipped Satan -- and announced that the two young
> men, Paul Rotondi and
> Frank Scarpinito, would be charged with
> “second-degree assault as a hate
> crime” and two other charges, which could carry a
> 15-year prison term.
>
> Under such a bizarre interpretation of the law,
> thugs who assault a
> Satanist because of "religious bias" could be
> punished more severely than
> if they attack a priest, rabbi, or any ordinary
> American and steal their
> wallet, assuming they're motivated only by greed,
> Seehusen noted.
>
> And someone who murdered a Satanist because of a
> religious motivation
> could get a harsher penalty than someone who
> assassinated the president
> because of a political motivation.
>
> "Is the life of a priest, rabbi, president or any
> ordinary American worth
> less than that of a Satanist?" he asked. "In the
> bizarre world of
> hate-crime legislation, the answer is yes -- because
> their murderer would
> get a less severe punishment."
>
> But the main issue isn't whether Satanism actually
> constitutes a religion,
> and should therefore be covered under hate crime
> laws, Seehusen said.
>
> The point is that hate crime laws are totally
> unnecessary because every
> violent crime is already covered under existing
> laws.
>
> "The individuals who attacked Daniel Romano should
> be charged with second
> degree assault, period -- not second degree assault
> as a hate crime," he
> said. "The concept of equal justice under the law
> requires that bigots be
> punished not because they assaulted a Satanist, but
> because they assaulted
> a human being. Police and prosecutors should focus
> on punishing all
> violent crimes, not on those which happen to be
> politically incorrect."
>
> In addition, hate crimes are nothing more than
> thought crimes, in which
> people are punished for what they think, not for
> what they do,
> Libertarians note.
>
> "Bigotry is despicable, but it shouldn't be
> illegal," Seehusen said.
> "The job of government is to punish people who harm
> others, not to improve
> their character. Until politicians understand that
> mission, Americans in
> New York and elsewhere have the right to ask just
> what the devil has gone
> wrong with our justice system."