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Louisiana's 'Blue Lives Matter' bill just became law
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Leroy N. Soetoro
Jun 9, 2016, 4:51:28 PM6/9/16
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/05/26/louisianas-
blue-lives-matter-bill-just-became-law/?utm_term=10b18ccf4b14
Louisana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) signed the “Blue Lives Matter” bill
into law Thursday, making the state the first in the nation where public
safety workers are considered a protected class under hate-crime law.
In many states, hate crime laws call for additional penalties for those
convicted of crimes who targeted victims on the basis of race, ethnicity
or religion. Targeting police officers, firefighters and emergency medical
service personnel now fall under Louisiana’s hate crime law.
“The men and women who put their lives on the line every day, often under
very dangerous circumstances are true heroes and they deserve every
protection that we can give them,” Edwards, the son of a sheriff, said in
a statement. “They serve and protect our communities and our families. The
overarching message is that hate crimes will not be tolerated in
Louisiana.”
No other state includes police officers as a protected class under hate-
crime laws, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
But at least 37 states — including Louisiana — have enhanced penalties for
assaulting police officers.
In some states, hurting a police officer can be an “aggravating factor” to
an assault or battery charge. Killing a police officer, in many states,
can be an aggravating factor or circumstance that makes the crime eligible
for the death penalty.
The Louisiana legislation has been referred to as “Blue Lives Matter” — a
phrase popularized in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, which
exploded following the fatal 2014 police shooting of an unarmed black
teenager, Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Mo.
Black Lives Matter activists have protested what they deem as excessive
force by police, and they have called attention to specific instances in
which police shot unarmed civilians.
[Washington Post database of police shootings]
Those who respond with “Blue Lives Matter” argue it’s officers who are
under assault — that criticism of police fosters animosity toward law
enforcement.
In 2015, 124 officers died in the line of duty, according to the National
Law Enforcement Memorial Fund. The number of officers fatally shot
declined, falling to 42 from 49 a year earlier, while the overall number
of deaths increased because of more traffic accidents and job-related
illnesses. Fatal shootings of officers have decreased over the previous
few decades — from an average of 127 in the 1970s to 57 yearly between
2000 and 2009.
But many officers and their relatives have said they feel greater tension
with the increased attention to fatal shootings by police. Louisiana had
nine officer fatalities in 2015 and none thus far in 2016, according to
the National Law Enforcement Memorial fund.
[Police officers experience fewer deaths these days — but increased
tension]
State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson cited the 2015 death of
Senior Trooper Steven Vincent “who simply responded to assist an
individual in a ditch when he was met with gunfire.”
Police said the stranded motorist allegedly shot Vincent and then told him
“you’re lucky — you’re going to die soon.”
“For those individuals who choose to target our heroes, the message
formalized in this legislative act should be clear and the consequences
severe,” Edmonson said in a statement Thursday. “On behalf of first
responders throughout Louisiana, we thank the legislature and the governor
for helping to make this law a reality.”
The Louisiana legislation faced little opposition from lawmakers and
easily passed through the statehouse. The bill’s author, state Rep. Lance
Harris (R), cited high-profile cases in arguing for his bill, including
the brazen and deadly ambush of two New York police officers in December
of 2014 and a drive-by shooting that wounded a firefighter that same month
in Florida, according to the Advocate.
“We have a pretty extensive hate-crime law right now, but I believe we
should add firefighters and policemen,” Harris said, according to the
Advocate.
But there has been criticism of the measure outside of the state Capitol.
The New Orleans chapter of activist group Black Youth Project 100 had
called on Edwards to veto HB 953, arguing that citizens, not police, are
under assault.
“By treating the police as specialized citizens held above criticism and
the laws they are charged to enforce, we lose our ability to exercise our
First Amendment right,” the organization said in a statement. “Including
‘police’ as a protected class in hate crime legislation would serve to
provide more protection to an institution that is statistically proven to
be racist in action, policy, and impact.”
The organization highlighted high-profile deaths of civilians in
Louisiana, including that of a handcuffed Victor White III. Officials in
2014 said the 22-year-old shot himself with a gun while in the back seat
of an Iberia Parish sheriff’s deputy’s car.
According to The Washington Post’s database, police in Louisiana shot and
killed 27 people in 2015. Two of them were unarmed. So far in 2016, seven
people have been fatally shot by police.
--
His Omnipotence Barack Hussein Obama, declared himself "Pooptator" of all
mentally ill homosexuals and crossdressers, while declaring where they
will defecate.
Obama increased total debt from $10 trillion to $19 trillion in the seven
years he has been in office, and sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
Barack Obama, reelected by the dumbest voters in the history of the United
States of America. The only American president to deliberately import a
lethal infectious disease from Africa, Ebola.
Loretta Fuddy, killed after she "verified" Obama's phony birth
certificate.
Obama ignored the brutal killing of an American diplomat in Benghazi, then
relieved American military officers who attempted to prevent said murder
in order to cover up his own ineptitude.
Obama continues his muslim goal of disarming America while ObamaCare
increases insurance premiums 300% and leaves millions without health care.
--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ne...@netfront.net ---
blue-lives-matter-bill-just-became-law/?utm_term=10b18ccf4b14
Louisana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) signed the “Blue Lives Matter” bill
into law Thursday, making the state the first in the nation where public
safety workers are considered a protected class under hate-crime law.
In many states, hate crime laws call for additional penalties for those
convicted of crimes who targeted victims on the basis of race, ethnicity
or religion. Targeting police officers, firefighters and emergency medical
service personnel now fall under Louisiana’s hate crime law.
“The men and women who put their lives on the line every day, often under
very dangerous circumstances are true heroes and they deserve every
protection that we can give them,” Edwards, the son of a sheriff, said in
a statement. “They serve and protect our communities and our families. The
overarching message is that hate crimes will not be tolerated in
Louisiana.”
No other state includes police officers as a protected class under hate-
crime laws, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
But at least 37 states — including Louisiana — have enhanced penalties for
assaulting police officers.
In some states, hurting a police officer can be an “aggravating factor” to
an assault or battery charge. Killing a police officer, in many states,
can be an aggravating factor or circumstance that makes the crime eligible
for the death penalty.
The Louisiana legislation has been referred to as “Blue Lives Matter” — a
phrase popularized in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, which
exploded following the fatal 2014 police shooting of an unarmed black
teenager, Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Mo.
Black Lives Matter activists have protested what they deem as excessive
force by police, and they have called attention to specific instances in
which police shot unarmed civilians.
[Washington Post database of police shootings]
Those who respond with “Blue Lives Matter” argue it’s officers who are
under assault — that criticism of police fosters animosity toward law
enforcement.
In 2015, 124 officers died in the line of duty, according to the National
Law Enforcement Memorial Fund. The number of officers fatally shot
declined, falling to 42 from 49 a year earlier, while the overall number
of deaths increased because of more traffic accidents and job-related
illnesses. Fatal shootings of officers have decreased over the previous
few decades — from an average of 127 in the 1970s to 57 yearly between
2000 and 2009.
But many officers and their relatives have said they feel greater tension
with the increased attention to fatal shootings by police. Louisiana had
nine officer fatalities in 2015 and none thus far in 2016, according to
the National Law Enforcement Memorial fund.
[Police officers experience fewer deaths these days — but increased
tension]
State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson cited the 2015 death of
Senior Trooper Steven Vincent “who simply responded to assist an
individual in a ditch when he was met with gunfire.”
Police said the stranded motorist allegedly shot Vincent and then told him
“you’re lucky — you’re going to die soon.”
“For those individuals who choose to target our heroes, the message
formalized in this legislative act should be clear and the consequences
severe,” Edmonson said in a statement Thursday. “On behalf of first
responders throughout Louisiana, we thank the legislature and the governor
for helping to make this law a reality.”
The Louisiana legislation faced little opposition from lawmakers and
easily passed through the statehouse. The bill’s author, state Rep. Lance
Harris (R), cited high-profile cases in arguing for his bill, including
the brazen and deadly ambush of two New York police officers in December
of 2014 and a drive-by shooting that wounded a firefighter that same month
in Florida, according to the Advocate.
“We have a pretty extensive hate-crime law right now, but I believe we
should add firefighters and policemen,” Harris said, according to the
Advocate.
But there has been criticism of the measure outside of the state Capitol.
The New Orleans chapter of activist group Black Youth Project 100 had
called on Edwards to veto HB 953, arguing that citizens, not police, are
under assault.
“By treating the police as specialized citizens held above criticism and
the laws they are charged to enforce, we lose our ability to exercise our
First Amendment right,” the organization said in a statement. “Including
‘police’ as a protected class in hate crime legislation would serve to
provide more protection to an institution that is statistically proven to
be racist in action, policy, and impact.”
The organization highlighted high-profile deaths of civilians in
Louisiana, including that of a handcuffed Victor White III. Officials in
2014 said the 22-year-old shot himself with a gun while in the back seat
of an Iberia Parish sheriff’s deputy’s car.
According to The Washington Post’s database, police in Louisiana shot and
killed 27 people in 2015. Two of them were unarmed. So far in 2016, seven
people have been fatally shot by police.
--
His Omnipotence Barack Hussein Obama, declared himself "Pooptator" of all
mentally ill homosexuals and crossdressers, while declaring where they
will defecate.
Obama increased total debt from $10 trillion to $19 trillion in the seven
years he has been in office, and sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
Barack Obama, reelected by the dumbest voters in the history of the United
States of America. The only American president to deliberately import a
lethal infectious disease from Africa, Ebola.
Loretta Fuddy, killed after she "verified" Obama's phony birth
certificate.
Obama ignored the brutal killing of an American diplomat in Benghazi, then
relieved American military officers who attempted to prevent said murder
in order to cover up his own ineptitude.
Obama continues his muslim goal of disarming America while ObamaCare
increases insurance premiums 300% and leaves millions without health care.
--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ne...@netfront.net ---
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