Will Grigg?s Liberty Minute

August 6, 2009

Michael Bullard and Richard Armstrong were recently convicted of beating Raylen Smith outside a Wal-Mart in Nampa, Idaho. A third suspect involved in this atrocity, James Whitewater, pleaded guilty and testified against the other two defendants.

Of course, the Idaho criminal code recognizes aggravated battery as a serious crime, and provides for prison terms of up to 15 years for that offense. This is a suitable punishment. However, the offenders in this case were not tried under Idaho law; instead, because the assailants were white and the victim was black, this crime was prosecuted by a federal court under a federal ?hate crimes? statute.

For those who don?t accept the totalitarian premise that government should regulate private attitudes, hate crimes laws serve no useful purpose. Conventional criminal laws are sufficient to deal with actual offenses against persons and property. Hate crimes statutes reinforce collectivist assumptions about rights, and promote expansion of government power into Orwellian territory.

Let us take back the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.