Gay Bashing Should Be a Hate Crime–Period
Why does a gay man need to be called a “faggot” after they’ve been assaulted for the act to be considered a hate crime? I mean brutally assaulted. A sucker punch to a guy who never had a fight in his life is like administering a ten minute beating to guy like me. I was stupid enough to fight when I was younger, in bars mostly. I know what it’s like to take a hit. And what it takes to administer one. I honed my skills at the Astoria, but, too, in the lane behind Richard’s on Richards–more times than I’d admit to (mind you the parking lot was nice and spacious too). It was just plain dumb.
But to spit on a guy or ridicule him because he’s “different”?
Boy o boy, times sure have changed. In the old days, after the police laughed at your drunk derriere for fighting over absolutely nothing you were likely having a beer an hour later with the same guy you were exchanging ham-fists with earlier.
But targeting someone because they’re gay? I don’t know anyone who would have done something so insanely stupid.
In March of 2009, Ritch Dowrey’s life was changed forever. Celebrating his retirement with friends at the Fountainhead Pub in the Davie Village, he was shooting pool, when Shawn Woodward knocked him out.
According to Woordward’s testimony, this was because Dowery either tried to touch him or did touch him.
The judge found this monstrous excuse as credible as I do.
I have many gay friends. Two in particular, I see on a regular basis. We often end up eating on Davie or just off Davie. I occasionally go to their bar of choice. That bar is gay. I’ve never once seen any gay man put the moves on a straight guy. As told to me by my pals, you can tell when a guy is gay, and “you reek of being straight.”
And we laugh.
Woodward committed a hate crime, pure and simple, and he deserves permanent scorn and not an ounce of pity. He’s handed Ritch Dowery a life sentence–all for the “crime” of being gay.
Dowery is confined to a wheelchair in a home. He has lost decades of memory, can’t speak and needs to be fed. Beautiful. Meanwhile, the thug responsible walked out of court yesterday, a free man. Well, for now. Sentencing submissions will be heard in October.
But my beef isn’t just with sickos like Woodward, whose hate runs deep.
You’d think the gay community, instead of fixating on pride-less parades and associated nonsense, would make a SERIOUS effort to hold politicians accountable for their rhetoric.
Form a political action committee and don’t stack it with the usual suspects. Find non-gay, caring men and women whom are prepared to force the govt to change laws and make hate crime sentencing a smoother proposition.
There were over three dozen gay bashings in Vancouver last year. The overwhelming majority were violent. And those were just the ones reported. Concentrating on a once a year sexual carnival doesn’t help those statistics disappear.
But while their own burn under the rapid-fire obscenity laden beatings of maggots like Woodward, the gay community “leadership” navel-gazes.
You can read excellent coverage by The Province, here.
And here is another excellent piece that you might remember, from a writer I know rather well.
Sadly, nothing has changed.
Two observations. First, the lame old fallback whine he touched me inappropriately. Even IF that was remotely true, the response is not justified under any circumstance.
Secondly the next slap in the face for the victim is the sentence. If the sentence is 2 or more years, its federal time which equals, day parole eligibility after 1/6, parole after 1/3 and mandatory parole after 2/3. So we do the math, a 12 year sentence (dreamer) actually translates to a possible minimum (finding God helps) of 2 years. That will teach him.
[Translate]
I know, it’s shameful. Gay-bashing when the victim is sentenced to life in a wheelchair, should net the offender 25 years with NO PAROLE.
[Translate]
Geez, Alex,
Fighting behind Dick’s on Dick’s?? Street fighting???
What is it with you Saints and College boys?? (spoken from one who witnessed it all back in the day).
Trojan Horse Pizza 4ever!
[Translate]
I know…hey, don’t forget White Tower on Robson. Or Trucadero’s if you were heading east. And who could forget the BLT at the Vineyard on Fourth! What else would you order at 4am! Ice for the knuckles…LOL!
[Translate]
A crime is a crime… no crime is better or worse than another. We should not be trying to read what is in the criminal’s heart or head at the time of the crime. You beat someone up … no matter what the circumstances, you should be punished. If I put a straight man in a wheelchair for life should I be punished less than if my victim was gay. I do not believe so. By giving special credence to certain crimes we are in effect creating an inequality — some victims are more important than others. Gay bashing is heinous, the motivations behind it are immature and ignorant — however it is not worse in my mind than any other vicious and violent assault.
[Translate]
I disagree somewhat. Hate crimes are worse legal animals and need to be dealt with differently. The result may be the same but you must address the intent. The mens rea standard won’t change, nor should it, but when a crime is fueled by hate, the offender should get additional time.
[Translate]
I’m pleased to see “Chancellor” make this point (what is it with these anonymous posts?). I may be the only gay man in Canada who disagrees entirely with the concept of “hate” crimes.
If I smack you upside the head with a baseball bat while shouting “you fucking asshole” I’m guilty of one sort of crime. If I hit you with the same bat with the same force while shouting “you fucking faggot” I’m guilty of another, more heinous crime and, according to the law and AGT, should receive a more severe penalty.
So what am I being additionally punished for? For what I was thinking and saying while I committed the act of violence.
So I am being punished for my thoughts and my speech.
Am I the only one (besides “Chancellor” doesn’t think this sounds quite right, and that all the post-modern deconstruction theorizing in the blogosphere doesn’t make it right?
The problem in our society is that there is far too much violence and the penalties for violence are insufficient. Random violence, domestic violence, gay bashing, racist violence, traffic-rage violence, all need to be dealt with equally if they are conducted with equal force, and they need to be punished far more severely than we do today.
But that’s just me, pushing the river.
[Translate]
Kevin:
I’ve spent a ton of time down in your neck of the woods and you’re out to lunch on this. If you don’t send a message to the gay-bashers then it will NEVER end. This is a cause celebre for some, particularly the summer months. They come down there and abuse gays with the most horrendous behavior. Maybe you should ask yourself why it is most attacks don’t get reported. It’s terrible.
…going down to the Village to attack “some fags.” It’s sickening. And it should be given a tougher sentence.
Yes, you should be punished for your thoughts and speech if that speech is hateful. “I think the black community has a rampant drug problem among it’s elite entertainers” is a somewhat absurd observation that many in America hold as accurate (considering drugs are a problem throughout Hollywood). But “Those fucking niggers are coke snorting maggots” to me, represents hate. Get it?
[Translate]
I’d like to know how many assaults, murders, etc, are motivated by affection. As Chancellor of the ExCHEKers says: a crime is a crime.
Once we start criminalizing emotions, we’ve unleashed a terrible monster. Tyranny is capricious, this week is hate, then its discontent, then its …
And moreover, what is currently termed a “hate” crime would be more accurately termed ‘a crime against an individual whom has been assigned to a special rights and privileges group’ and that is incompatible with equality before the law.
Don’t misunderstand me, I would have this Woodward creature turning big rocks into little rocks in the hot sun for a long, long time. For a vicious, unprovoked assault. Not because of any special status accorded to his victim.
I myself was the victim of a vicious, unprovoked assault last year and the son-of-a-big-shot walked away on a technicality. Does that matter less because I’m a heterosexual than if I were not?
[Translate]
No, not really, But when the act is fueled by hate against a minority group, it makes it that much more repugnant. I don;t know your circumstances, but most fights don’t last longer than a few minutes. This business between Woodward and Dowery is a clear cut case of hate. If he was just in an altercation, fine. But why call the man a “fag.” Beyond repugnant…
[Translate]
” … when the act is fueled by hate against a minority group, it makes it that much more repugnant.”
If you wish, but that’s not the point at hand, which is equality before the law. You’re no doubt aware that, according to the trend-setting Toronto police, “Nazis” are now a recognized minority that can be accorded special “hate crime” victim status. How repugnant do you find hatred against Nazis? Should there be lesser penalties for assaulting one of them instead?
“Tyranny”, as I mentioned previously, “is capricious.” Now its Nazis that are protected. See what I mean? This is Pandora’s Box, it can’t be selectively opened.
[Translate]
Sorry Alex, the judge has lots of variance in sentencing, as it is. Was it provoked? Who cares. I’ve had passes made to me, and it affected me with delirious laughter. But then I’m not the other guy who may have a serious problem with it, and if it did occur, it could be classed as a sexual assault.
Will it, someday, be seen as a “hate” crime that the Catholic Church denies 2 gay person’s Matrimony? Something to think about, and something (hate crimes) to nip in the bud. The man deserves to be charged with assault and it should be judged according to the viciousness and consequences it caused, which were very serious.
[Translate]
Sounds like this case is exactly what the Hate Crime Section is designed to address and I can’t fathom why Crown would even be debating whether to excercise it.
[Translate]
Truer words were never written, and from the keyboard of a thirty year police veteran. Always good to have you around Bob.
[Translate]