"Thoughtcrimes": Not just for 1984, anymore.

About a week ago, a particular bill in the House came to my attention.  To wit, they want to create a number of "protected classes", against which the committal of a crime would carry greater punishment via prosecution as a "hate crime".  I won't get into the specific classes protected because I realized that they really are irrelevant.  The clamor over the rejection of an amendment that would exclude pedophiles from the protected classes?  Irrelevant.  My satire, at the time, of the rejection of amendments to protect the elderly, our troops, pregnant women, and the unborn; avoid excessive federal interference; and require an element of proof for conviction?  Irrelevant.  The fact that this bill, should it become law, will be selectively applied to single out and further punish anyone who attacks the protected classes, regardless of actual motivation?  Irrelevant.  All of these issues serve only to hide the terrifying reality.

The subject came back up today, and I took a moment to reread my own comment.  It was then I noticed something that had slipped past me before:  “7. An amendment by Mr. King to rename the bill `Local Law Enforcement Thought Crimes Prevention Act of 2009.’ Defeated 15 to 10. ”  I'd taken that as a joke at the liberals' expense, but the more I thought about it, the more I understood that Mr. King was likely not kidding at all.  Everything else in the bill, the protected classes, the lack of proof, the easily-twisted application, is irrelevant in the face of one overwhelming reality:  This bill intends to punish people for their thoughts.  "Thoughtcrimes" are knocking at the gates, ladies and gentlemen.  This bill sets the incredibly dangerous precedent of allowing the (federal, no less) government to dictate what thoughts are and are not acceptable and arbitrarily punish anyone that is deemed to have had "illegal thoughts".  Not only will they gain the power to punish people for mere thoughts, they will be able to do so regardless of whether or not those thoughts really existed.

I used to consider the rants claiming that we are living a prelude to 1984 hyperbolic.  That's not to say I considered Obama and the Democrats' efforts anything short of disastrous for our nation.  I was simply in the “O’-'n'-Co. are wrecking the country and attempting to rewrite the Constitution, but 1984 was worse than that” camp.  However, with this bill apparently headed for passage, the beginnings of a true Orwellian nightmare may soon be in place.  Realizing that, I get the impression that I’ve severely underestimated the ambition of our current government and the apathy of all too many of the people. It’s rather like the sensation of realizing that the guy who sleeps with a gun is, unfortunately, quite sane.

I strongly advise everyone to contact your senators and demand that this bill be crushed.  When the government gains the power to punish you simply for thinking, they have acquired the power to erase all vestiges of liberty.