Hate Crimes Legislation

"Chuck Norris" has become a household name again thanks to the Napolean Dynamite-meets-machismo of Chuck Norris facts and his campaigning for Mike Huckabee, but if he's going to have a political megaphone, he should use it wisely.

What's troubling is his column encouraging his readers to protest the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, claiming that it would offer "elevated protection to pedophiles." As Media Matters points out, this is false, false, and triple false.

Hooray! It's Friday, the sun is shining (somewhere), and the US House of Representatives has passed the Hate Crimes bill! Says Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) of Missouri:

"This bill is a powerful statement that hate has no place in America. It brings existing Federal hate crimes law into the 21st century by broadening it to include crimes motivated by gender, sexual orientation and disability."

Spread the word! Hate has no place in America, and crimes motivated by gender do indeed count as hate crimes. (What? They weren't love crimes? Who knew?) In all seriousness though, this is great news. Now all those haters out there (I'm talking to you, Virginia Foxx) can shove it. (And go to jail for it.)