When Liberals Attack! Meet Senator Perv!

Just ask Rep. Alcee Hastings, a Florida Democrat, who was angered in May of 2009 by the idea that a fellow congressman offered an amendment to H.R. 1913, otherwise known as the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009.

The act provided funding for prosecution of hate crimes, and expanded protections for "sexual orientation and gender identity." While the act was meant to provide more protection for gays, lesbians, and the transgendered, many felt the wording was too general, and could provide protection for pedophiles.

An amendment offered by Rep Steve King (R-IA) attempted to clarify the act, stating that those protections do not apply to those "sexually oriented" towards children. The amendment also listed other sexual fetishes that could violate the rights of others, including voyeurism. The amendment had a long list of "isms" and "philias" that were not protected, which sounded stupid, but it was necessary to clarify a stupid bill that was too broadly worded to begin with.

Hastings would have none of that. He actually argued that any and every sexually deviant behavior - including pedophilia - should be included and protected by the act. His ignorance of the issue, and his inability to grasp the implications of the act, are clear in his statement on the House floor:

"We had an amendment offered by one of our colleagues...'The term sexual orientation,' this proposed amendment said, 'as used in this act, or any amendments made by this act, does not include apotemnophilia, asphyxophilia, autogynephilia, coprophilia, exhibitionism, fetishism, frotteurism, gerontosexuality, incest, kleptophilia, klismaphilia, necrophilia, partialism, pedophilia, sexual masochism, sexual sadism, telephone scatalogia, toucherism, transgenderism, transsexual, transvestite, transvestic fetishism, urophilia, voyeurism, or zoophilia.'

"This is serious business. Mr. Speaker, we can't legislate love, but we can legislate against hate. Mr. Speaker, this bill addresses our resolve to end violence based on prejudice, and to guarantee that all Americans, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability--or all of these philias and fetishes and isms that were put forward--need not live in fear because of who they are."

Even with Hastings pleading that pedophiles actually be included in the act, the amendment was defeated and the bill passed the Democrat-controlled House along party lines. It awaits Senate action.

Hastings' stupidity is already part of political lore. The former federal judge became only the sixth judge in U.S. history to be impeached and removed from office (by a Democratic Congress, no less) because of corruption and perjury charges. And he was still elected to Congress. Really, Florida? He is also the same Alcee Hastings who once told a group of Jewish Democrats, in criticizing Sarah Palin, that "anybody toting guns and stripping moose don't care too much about what they do with Jews and blacks." At least he got Bullwinkle's vote. He'll also have the vote of every pervert in South Florida. Here's Senator Perv in all his YouTube glory.

Sources: YouTube, SunSentinel.com, Wikipedia, OpenCongress.org