Louisiana Makes Targeting Police, First Responders A Hate Crime

[SimplySpaztastic]

LOUISIANA – With the nationwide friction between the Black Lives Matter movement and supporters of law enforcement as a backdrop, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards signed a bill Thursday expanding the state’s hate-crimes statute to add the targeting of police officers, firefighters and EMS personnel.

“Coming from a family of law enforcement officers, I have great respect for the work that they do and the risks they take to ensure our safety,” Edwards said Thursday, adding, “they deserve every protection that we can give them.”

Traditionally, a crime is considered a hate crime if the victim is targeted because of identity-based characteristics such as their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc.

Louisiana becomes the first state to add one’s chosen vocation to that list, something that has rankled opponents.

“Working in a profession is not a personal characteristic, and it is not immutable,” said Anti-Defamation League Regional Director Allison Padilla-Goodman.

While Padilla-Goodman said the ADL supports enhanced penalties for crimes against law enforcement officers, she said the law “weakens the impact of the Hate Crimes Act by adding more categories of people who are already better protected under other laws.”

http://kdvr.com/2016/05/26/its-now-a-hate-crime-to-target-police-first-responders-in-louisiana/

 

[Kittyskyfish]

Anyone who targets cops and first responders is probably not the type of person to let a law stand in their way. But hey, it makes politicians look like they're doing their job.

 

[JackBurton]

Purely a political move, just something to excite the dimwits.

It is the south though, so i take it this doesn't apply to gay and transgendered police officers?

 

[Angels Mom]

I cannot roll my eyes hard enough.

Being a cop is a job! If this is the case then all ER doctors, midwives, doulas and cooks who mistakingly cook meals wrong, oh and fast food drive through employees should be covered as well.

 

[Satanica]

“Working in a profession is not a personal characteristic, and it is not immutable,” said Anti-Defamation League Regional Director Allison Padilla-Goodman.

While Padilla-Goodman said the ADL supports enhanced penalties for crimes against law enforcement officers, she said the law “weakens the impact of the Hate Crimes Act by adding more categories of people who are already better protected under other laws.”

I agree with the ADL on this one.

 

[Athena]

Yeah, this is a joke. Empty politicking. I expect it to get struck down, and I hope that happens quickly.

There is already enhanced sentencing - formally, in some cases, but informally in all cases - for assaulting an officer.

 

[mrcarolinablue823]

The idiots should know by now just about EVERY crime is a hate crime. (I said just about)

 

[sarahdownunder]

I don't know if lumping these crimes under the umbrella of 'hate crimes' is a good idea. It would depend on the scope given to the judiciary when hearing a case and sentencing any guilty verdicts.

I do believe, that if you are a big enough fuckwad to attack or try to prevent a first responder from arriving and helping on the scene, that you deserve to have the bloody book thrown at you for it. And that includes medical personnel like paramedics, nurses and doctors.

We are weakening the true horror behind what is actual racism, by throwing the term around as an insult, left right and centre. Most times, the racism label cannot even be truly applied in those cases. And it doesn't help, one iota, the victims of racism. So I worry that this new law will lessen the true obscenity that is, an actual hate crime.

If you can get the DP if you kill a federal agent, then why not just tighten the grasp and increase the punishment on these total wankers who react against first responders?

 

[Spider]

You'd think that the possibility of going to Angola for a few years at a minimum would make Louisiana the most peaceful place on the planet...

 

[Keepalowprofile]

You'd think that the possibility of going to Angola for a few years at a minimum would make Louisiana the most peaceful place on the planet...

But there is a side benefit, once a year, angola prisoners get to be a cowboy for a day. Everyone has a little cowboy (or cowgirl) in them.
Going to the rodeo is on my bucket list. As a spectator of course.