Campus Chatter

One wonders how many Mormons and African Americans will be howling for this to be treated as a hate crime? My guess-none. Having mutually conspired to deprive our fellow gay americans of their right to marry, many of them will say to themselves (and alone amongst each other) "That what happens when you choose to live that lifestyle"

Now I ask you to ask yourselves-who would choose to live a life that contains so much risk and supposed divine condemnation. Doesn't that sound as silly as the old justification "Slavery is ordained by God-it's in the Bible" By the way, it is in the Bible!!! But that doesn't make it right...oh my goodness,that must mean the Bible is wrong...oops!

You see things the way you want to see them, not the way they really are.

This goes beyond 'sad', don't you think? I think it's horrific. When people feel free to kill others because they don't like them.... (or their lifestyle or their haircuts, or their religion, or their skin color...) our society takes a hit as a whole. Yes, it IS a hate crime - and the District Attorney better see it as one.

Crimes like this are encouraged when hate laws like Prop 8 are passed. What do you expect when you institutional hate through legislation?

I had an African American colleague tell me the other day that "gays got what they deserved" in the Prop. 8 battle because "they ran a poor campaign and didn't reach out to the black community." She went on to say that blacks don't care one way or the other about gay marriage and they simply went with the side that reached out to them...the Yes on 8 people. I sat there in shock as I listened to this, too dumbfounded to say much of anything other than "no one DESERVES to have their rights taken away." I have seen much homophobia from the black community and I hope it is something Obama will speak to. It is really ugly, especially from a group that has received so much political support from the gay community.

Can a whole movement be blamed on two groups of people? What about the Jews, Hispanics, Asians and Muslims, Catholics, Protestants who voted to ban same sex marriage? Last time I was in California, it was made up of more then Mormons and African Americans. The question is; does the institution of marriage require laws to govern that institution? If the answer is YES, then one must define EXACTLY what a marriage is. A marriage has always been between one man and one woman. And in California, majority of the people agree.
How can you make something equal that is inherently unequal? Last time I checked An Apple and a Banana don't equal two bananas. Nor do two apples equal an Apple and a banana. Get over yourselves you lost. If you want to marry someone get married like everyone else does. Marry one person of the opposite sex. If you don’t want to do that, fine don’t get married. But when you make that choice, don’t try to shove down America’s throat that your “relationship” is a marriage.
With that said I do not what to see anyone die for their beliefs and I do believe this is a hate crime and should be treated by the DA as such. The death penalty should be on the table for this poor excuse of a human being.

I still have not found in the constitution where gay marrage is a right. For hundreds of years marrage has been between a man and a woman. Why should we change that for a very small percent of the US. Marrage is a way for them to justify what they know is wrong.

What a putrid story. This is shameful. Shameful.

For many years, marriage between people of different races was not legal. Now, that concept seems barabaric and hateful. Just because something has been done a particular way for a long time doesn't make it right. Marriage is a civil institution that provides crucial legal protections for partners and families. Gay people work, pay taxes, participate in the economy and deserve the same legal protections as heterosexuals. I have yet to hear a heterosexual make a sound argument as to how gay marriage would negatively affect them or their lives?

Obama's campaign against gays seems to working

(for those who don't know,,, obama toured the south with minister who claim he was once gay, but then was cured)

Marriage is historically between a man and a woman. It is not democratic for the gay minority to impose its views on everyone else. The people of California have spoken at the ballot. Deal with it.

Hate Crimes are a fiction also. The killer here should be prosecuted of course. But calling something a "hate" crime simply gives undue extra rights to a minority. Every crime should have equal consequences for all people.

Carolynn Rust....Well said. I totally agree with you.

Cathy...the black community is more accepting and tolerant of gays than you think. Black communities tolerate far more than these self righteous white communities who are quick to throw the Bible at someone who does not believe what they believe. And Yes, it is a hate crime! I truly feel that marriage is and should be between a man and a woman...that is my right to feel that way. But what someone else chooses to do with their lives is none of my business. I have not heaven or hell to put them in. On the day of judgement I will be in line just like they will be and it is not my call but God. I don't have to accept what they do, but I can tolerate what they do. They are still human, they still have feeling, they still hurt.

dsimms;

Nowhere in the constitution is the Heterosexual right to marry either. Why change the way things have always been? Well lets see now:

Kings had absolute control over peoples lives with no concept of ind. rights or the ability to vote for leaders-but it was wrong so we changed that.

Slavery was common throughout the world-but it was wrong so we changed that.

People used to be bled when they were sick-but it was wrong so we changed that.

Get it?

Murder is a the worse crime, It always should be treated as such. only self defense should be given deals when it comes to murder.

A person commiting Murder is a hate crime against the human race. No excuses change that.

A group or gang committing murder Should be the most server hate crime on the human race.

no i donot agree with you that this should be taught in school or anywhere else. I feel for the victim and for his family after all a human life was taken. But his lifestyle is not acceptable to all people. It is against the laws of God. It is a sickness that is invading the land and people had better wake up. This sick puppy that claims he is a man and he had a baby. He still had his female organs that is why he got pregnant. God did not make any mistakes he made us male and female and all of this is just a sick mind and a diviate mind.

"I still have not found in the constitution where gay marrage is a right. For hundreds of years marrage has been between a man and a woman. Why should we change that for a very small percent of the US. Marrage is a way for them to justify what they know is wrong."
I still haven't found the part in the constitution where straight marriage is a right. Some things are spelled out elsewehere in the constitution. They didn't spell everything out for every simpleton that lives. Besides, I really doubt you have ever even looked at a copy of the constitution!! Just keep repeating what you hear others say, right or wrong!!

I am mormon and I think that this is awful Michael O'Neal. If things happened the way that the story said (and they probably did) than this is definitely a hate crime and should be treated as such. No one should be punished for their beliefs. The reason that Latter Day Saints (Mormons) are against allowing gay marriage is because it takes away our right to believe that marriage is union between man and wife. When you change the definition, all of a sudden what we believe is wrong as far as the government is concerned. Our church doesn't want to be forced to marry same sex couples. I know you believe that they won't, but it has already happened in Sweeden where same sex marriages are legal. We have rights too, and we don't want to lose them. I am not against Domestic Partnerships or Civil Unions. I believe that same sex couples deserve everything that heterosexual couples have like tax breaks, hospital visitation rights, ect. No one should be persecuted for their beliefs. But we should still be allowed to believe even if it is different from others. I still view civil unions just as legit as a marriage. People should be happy and if that means with someone of the same sex, who am I to condemn them. I just don't want to lose my rights in believing that marriage is between a man and a woman and I don't want my church to be forced to perform gay and lesbian marriages.

Gosh these hate crimes are so despicable, and the full weight of the law must be applied. I think too that by targeting ethnic groups based on how they voted is wrong. Its a right that is given in the constitution, instead of demonizing groups just keep putting forward a postive case about why the issue of gay marriage is important to society.

Michael ONeal-All that you said are true but what do they have to do with trying to change something that is lagetimate and has been so since Adam and Eve. Nowhere in the animal kingdom do animals of the same sex live togther forever except man. Sex is not on earth for the sole pleasue of man. It is here so the population of earth would grow. How can people of the same sex make that happen, thye can't without the help of the opposite sex.
Gays want to call it marrage to legitimize their beliefs. A civil union serves the same purpose as marrage. When same sex couples can have babies with the help of the other sex then I will support same sex marrage.

Lets see: slavery used to be legal, banning interracial marriage used to be legal, a wife being a husband's "property" used to be legal....that's the way it always was so why change it? What an idiotic argument. If society never changed and evolved we'd still be living with these things and worse. And I think the reason so many gays are outraged that 75% of black voters in CA went against Prop. 8 is because this is a group who should understand the need for civil rights as much as anyone and also a group that has always had a political friend in the gay community. Mormons also have their own complicated history with marriage. Ironic that these two groups were among the ones who voted most strongly to ban gay marriage.