Editor, Times-Union: According to the web, the Indiana legislature and most of your so-called public servants in the statehouse have voted for Senate Bill 220, euphemistically called the hate crimes bill. After perusing the bill carefully I find no mention of protection for white heterosexual working-class males unless they are homosexual, transsexual or a few other minority categories. I guess nobody ever hates a white man. I’m well aware of this type of legislation because I testified before the committee in California that first started this debacle. One of the main witnesses for this hate crimes law was a person I knew well. He testified that he had been waylaid on the streets of Sacramento,, Calif., tied to a wooden cross and nails driven through his hands. You might remember the story, it went nationwide, actually world wide. The problem was it never happened. Much of the push that the hate crimes legislation received was based on his testimony. A crime is a crime. Giving individuals extra time will not solve your problem. It will only make it worse. Most such prisoners come out far worse than when they went in. But I know you won't consider this. So if society doesn't listen they will have to feel. Tom Metzger Warsaw, via email
