Walter B. Jones: “I believe sincerely all violent crimes are hate crimes regardless of race or any other classification. My concern is…”

“I believe sincerely all violent crimes are hate crimes regardless of race or any other classification. My concern is, today, that as we begin to move down this road, what will happen to freedom of speech in this country? Some people might say, well, you are missing the big picture. Maybe I am, but I can tell my colleagues what has happened in Sweden already. A minister who spoke from the Bible and talked about certain lifestyles not being acceptable in the Bible spent a month in jail for speaking out and preaching. I believe in compassion. I believe in respect. I believe in the civil rights of each and every one of us who lives in this great Nation. But my concern sincerely is that we might have it one day, as they do in other countries that have outlawed the use of Roman Catholic teachings and also Islamic teachings about certain lifestyles that are not acceptable based on their religion, and I would hate to see that happen in this great Nation. Yes, I want to see every crime that is committed against any American, no matter what their lifestyle is, I want to see that person who committed the crime to go to jail. I believe in the death penalty, as my voting record would say.”