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Rep. Betsy Markey is the Colorado Democrat who unseated former Rep. Marilynn Musgrave, the Republican congresswoman who submitted to congress the Federal Marriage Amendment that would have banned same gender marriages.
The YouTube video below documents what Markey said on the House Floor regarding the federal hate crimes legislation bill — the hate crimes legislation that passed in the House of Representatives yesterday (April 29, 2009).
To put this statement by Rep. Markey in perspective, Angie Zapata’s hate crime murder happened in Rep. Markey’s district (formerly Rep. Musgrave’s district), and Matthew Shepard died in a hospital less than five minutes from Rep. Markey’s home in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The transcript of Rep. Markey’s comments (courtesy of the Colorado Independent):
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.Matthew Shepard died in a hospital less than five minutes from my home in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The depth of hate that drives such an act of violence leaves all those it touches bereft in the knowledge that such ugliness can exist on this Earth.
Angie Zapata was an 18-year-old transgender woman brutally murdered in Greeley, Colorado, this past July. It took a jury just two hours to convict Angie’s killer under Colorado’s first application of hate-crimes statute earlier this month.
This bill does not punish speech, thoughts, words or beliefs. It does not even punish hate speech. It punishes actions. It provides state and local authorities with federal assistance in investigating and prosecuting hate crimes
In this country, 45 states already have hate crimes legislation on the books – many of these statutes are more robust than the current federal law.
Matthew Shepard and Angie Zapata were two victims of hate crimes in my district. I have a duty to their memory that I take seriously.
Thank you very much.
What a change for the better Rep. Markey is for all the human beings she represents in her district.
Thank you for your comments, Rep. Markey, from the bottom of my heart; I personally appreciate your moving statement on the House Floor.
7 Comments
ColoradoIf there’s one state that I’ve noticed the shift from red to blue most, it’s Colorado. The Democratic Party and gay rights activists specifically have done a marvelous job in creating a kinder, gentler Colorado for it’s LGBT and other citizens.
I saw Markey’s comments yesterdayand couldn’t have been more impressed. But–no surprise–as soon as she finished talking, some damn Republican (I forget which) stood up and claimed there are no recorded instances of hate crimes against transgender people. So I guess maybe Angie’s murder was a hoax too, huh?
Excellent postIndeed she is a marked improvement.
Short ‘n’ Sweet… but she said pretty much everything that needed to be said on the matter and put a real human face on the topic. Good for her.
NiceI’m even prouder now that I gave to her campaign.
But for those who enjoy cultural train wrecks…It would have been interesting to get odds on who would deliver the most hate-filled, fact-starved speech in opposition to the bill: Foxx, Bachmann or Musgrave.
re Marilyn MusgraveLast I heard, she was still in such a state of shock and bitterness over her loss, she has never formally conceded to or acknowledged her successor.