To the editor:
I heard on NPR today that one of our state representatives is submitting a hate crimes bill again in this year's session. Why? The criminal statutes that are now in effect should be enforced instead of generating new law. Does anyone remember Jesse Dirkhising? He was a young boy who was kidnapped, sodomized and murdered by two avowed homosexuals in Arkansas. This happened during the same period of the Matthew Sheppard murder in Wyoming. Sheppard's murder was horrific as all murders are, and because of his homosexuality, it gave renewed vigor to state and federal elected representatives to demand or sponsor various hate crime initiatives. Not much was said about Jesse's fate at the national and local level. We have sentencing guidelines for particularly vicious crimes. Once again, why make new law that is not needed?
Glen Sharp,
Lawrence
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