Labeling crime as ‘hate’ makes no difference to victims
I’ve always been puzzled by the concept of “hate” crimes.
Are some crimes committed because the criminal loves the victim? At the least, crimes occur where the perpetrator is indifferent to the victim’s welfare. Is that a lesser crime?
I doubt that victims can tell the difference, and different penalties are unlikely to change deterrence.
What is the purpose, then? My guess is political posturing.
WILLIAM CARNEY, ATLANTA
Transgender bill gives needed pause to body alterations
The Georgia Legislature has passed a bill that will prohibit transgender treatments of minor children through chemicals and/or surgical alterations of those children’s physical bodies. And Gov. Brian Kemp signed it on Thursday.
Parents of children with gender dysphoria (confusion) say that physical treatments may save their children from motivation to commit suicide. Other parents point to statistics that tell of children later changing their minds; so that their minds accept their natural-born bodily structures and functions.
Children who have had gender reassignments are permanently disabled to naturally procreate children, following surgical removal of natural reproductive organs. Some of those then consider suicide from facing their psychological dilemmas. Puberty-blocking chemicals are not just a “pause” of development. They have permanent implications.
A mindset can be treated. DNA cannot be successfully altered throughout a body. Natural original DNA continues in every cell.
Psychology, not surgery, is the quality successful answer. Don’t permanently ruin children’s later lives.
TOM STREETS, ATLANTA
Photos show anguish of those opposed to SB 140
To the editors of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, thank you for your photos documenting the heartfelt pleas of transgender people, parents, medical providers and others regarding Senate Bill 140. Your photos demonstrated the anguish many of us feel about this hateful legislation that was signed by the Governor on Thursday.
I noted when I was at the Capitol and in your series of pictures that there were no people standing there with signs in favor of SB 140. Polling data overwhelmingly demonstrate this same point: the people of Georgia do not want this law.
Gov. Kemp demonstrated he would rather wade into divisive culture war issues like this rather than stay with the “kitchen table” issues he campaigned on. For some of us, this is a life or death “kitchen table” issue.
His signing statement said “it is our highest responsibility to safeguard the bright, promising futures of our kids,” but signing this bill does the exact opposite for our transgender children.
JULIE FISHMAN, ATLANTA
Make Jan. 6 insurgents pass citizenship test
Recently a friend from England who has resided in the United States for a long time became a naturalized US citizen. As part of the process, he was required to study for the citizenship test and answer detailed questions about civics and history. After he passed his test, we joked that he probably knows more about our country’s history than the violent insurgents who attacked our democracy on January 6.
Many of those insurgents have received relatively light sentences, considering the seriousness of their misguided actions. Maybe a better punishment is that they lose their citizenship upon conviction but are allowed to earn it back through the same process required of immigrants who want to participate in our democracy. If that sounds harsh, it’s no harsher than beating Capitol police officers and interfering with a legitimate election.
Perhaps by passing the citizenship test, lesser offenders can even avoid jail time while becoming better informed and productive citizens who contribute to the country instead of attacking it.
BRUCE WHITE, TUCKER
