news-record.com

Hmmm. Equal protection can't be served if local authorities cannot be relied on to vigorously prosecute a given crime because of the perpetrator's motivation. This was precisely the reason why it was necessary during the civil rights era to pass new laws giving the federal government jurisdiction over acts that were already crimes under state law. As we know the local authorities in the south frequently failed to vigorously enforce the state law where lynchings, bombings, etc, were motivated by race.

So if what you're after is equal protection under the laws, then it makes sense to extend federal jurisdiction to cover crimes that might otherwise go unprosecuted or underprosecuted.

BTW, this article is not about abortion.

Foxx is an idiot that idiots keep re-electing. Wake up and throw all the bums out.

1998 Bill Clinton the President. What a nice way to get the focus off of Bill and Monica then. Today April 29, 2009. Why are you folks wasting your time over such trivial stuff. Hate crimes happen everyday and have for ever. Do you need a history lesson about this ? Indians, Chinese, Japanese, Germans, African Americans. Have any of you writing these worthless comments ever been the victim of a crime ? If you have then you know that the person committing these crimes against other human being are filled with hate and in fact probably hate themselves. Hate Crime, was the guy not robbed ? Or was that just a cover up even before this Hate Crime Bill was put into place, wow! How did the criminals know that they would be in such big trouble even before the Bill was even heard of ?
Folks, this is a smear attempt against Mrs. Fox. I did not vote for Virginia, but I think if you really listen to what she said without the talking points from the media. You will see that she has a point. People, please just think for
yourselves !

This woman is obviously delusional. Just look at that picture and tell me this is not one apple that fell a little bit to far from the tree.

I am shocked at her comments. Are we as a state so bigoted that we allow people like this to remain in office? I suppose the next thing we will say is that Martin Luther King, Jr. was just a Negro at the wrong place at the wrong time or in Dr. Foxx's words "unfortunate." Or maybe the Holocaust never happened. When the president of Iran says that we want his head. The time has come for North Carolinians to rise up to the challenge and remove this moron from office. I am ashamed that she "represents" us.

There are so many ways for Virginia Foxx to oppose the legislation that was at hand but she only knows one way.... to hurt and to insult. I find it astounding that a "Christian" person could stand in front of the mother of a murder victim and say the things she said. Regardless of whether you agree or not with the particular legislation, you must agree that Foxx certainly will do anything and say anything for political gain. And to hell with any sense of what is right and civil.

I don't agree with what Foxx said at all and I'm not going to defend her in the least. I wasn't even gonna comment on the stupidity of this until I got to Comer's statement.

“We shouldn’t forget why he died just like we shouldn’t forget why Hitler murdered Jews during World War II. It was hate.”

In a story about ignorant comments, it's ironic that they'd use an ignorant comment to debunk it. I'm Jewish and I find it offensive to compare a single murder to the same level of the sadistic murder of millions of my people.

Murder is Murder. I've yet to see a "love" based murder, so why is there such a thing as a "hate" murder. Lives are unfairly ended. You wanna send a message? Stiffen the penalty for murder. Increase death penalties. Do whatever you want, but don't try to make a separate category for cold blooded murder.

First off, why is everyone who speaks against Foxx making it a point to say they are "straight"? It seems odd, and should have nothing to do with your opinion one way or the other.

As for the Matthew Shepard case, the whole circus around this reminds me of Cassie Bernall, the Christian girl who was killed in the Columbine Massacre. During the initial reports, when allegations spread that the two school shooters were specifically targeting Christian students, it was said that either Klebold or Harris had walked up to her, asked, "Do you believe in God?" and then shot her for saying yes. Cassie's mom Misty Bernall toured the country, spoke at churches and on various TV programs, and even wrote a book ("She Said Yes"), all of which exploited certain Christians' need to feel persecuted and under attack by a seemingly anti-Christian world. It was later found out that the Columbine shootings were not motivated by religion whatsoever, and that Klebold and Harris never asked anyone if they believed in God before shooting them. That this part of the story was later debunked doesn't make Cassie's murder - or the murder of the other 11 students and teacher - less of a tragedy.

I am glad that Foxx apologized for being insensitive. She was.

However, if she had said, "There's no concrete evidence that proves Matthew Shepard was even murdered because of his sexuality," that would be true, and there's no debate for that. Like the Cassie Bernall case, most of what people think they know about Shepard's killing was loose hearsay generated during the initial days of the investigation that was solidified by unchecked national media coverage.

But again, murder is horrible regardless of motive. The fact that Shepard was killed for any reason makes his death a tragedy. And the fact that he might have been killed for the stupid motive of securing money to buy crystal meth is even worse in some ways.

Im a middle aged normal guy and think that she is absolutely correct. Look at the facts of the case. The only issue here is how many panties Foxx had put in a wad because of her comments. It makes people feel so much better about themselves to declare 'outrage' and the like.

Ms Foxx, you are a disgrace to the people of this great state. It's this limited belief that separates you from reality. My wife and I are disturbed that you represent NC. YOU are pathetic!

Representative (of WHAT I have NO idea!) Fox needs to contact her proctologist to arrange for a brain scan. She is nothing more than Hitler in drag.

I am appauled that someone who one would think should be smart is expressing such ignorance about the Matthew Shepard murder. It is clear that it was a hate crime based on the defense of the young men involved in the killing. They basically stated that they were freaked out by the fact that Matthew was gay and panicked. The prosecution pointed out that one of the killers pretended to be gay to get Matthew to go with them that night. Neither of the killers were on drugs and had to have purposely murdered this young man. In fact, Wikipedia states, "The beating was so severe that the only areas on Shepard's face that were not covered in blood were those where his tears had washed the blood stains away." That's not a robbery, that's HATE, Ms. Foxx.

What an embarrassment to our state.