Canadian MP Beaten For Support Of Gay Marriage

[davidinalameda]

http://www.365gay.com/newscontent/112503ScottAttack.htm

A 48 year old Fredericton area man is charged with assault and uttering death threats in the beating of Canada's former Solicitor General.

Andy Scott, the member of Parliament for Fredericton was accosted by a man in his constituency office. Scott was beaten about the face and body. He was treated and released from a city hospital and is resting at home.

Police arrested Terry Curtis, 48 a short while after the incident.

Curtis's wife, Corinne, said the men began to fight after Scott refused to allow Curtis to put up posters in the office condemning same-sex marriage.

[J B]

1. Wow..

I can't remember anything like this in Canada. I can't remember even hearing about anything like this in Canada...

And check this out. This guy's not nobody or just your typical MP either.

--



Scott headed a House of Commons committee that endorsed same-sex unions, casting the tie-breaking vote to accept an Ontario court ruling that allowed allowed same-sex couples to marry.

He has also been the point man in the Maritimes for incoming Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin.

[iverglas]

4. goodness

I'd been expecting to hear that it was just a case of a lone loon, like the guy who wandered into Chrétien's official residence a few years ago after Jean and Aline had retired to their bedchamber, and Aline was all prepared to bean him with an Inuit soapstone sculpture if he'd made it into the room.

Probably a bit of a lone loon anyhow, really. I mean, I can see beating someone up for being Paul Martin's point man. That's not completely unreasonable. But beating somebody up for endorsing same-sex marriage, that's the hallmark of a loon.

The Globe and Mail's report:
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20031125/SCOTT25//?query=curtis

No one will say what sparked the incident. But Mr.
Curtis's wife, Corrine, told ATV News outside the
courthouse her husband had actively opposed same-sex
marriages.

Mr. Scott had been a high-profile supporter of the
Liberals' recent move to recognize such unions. As
head of the federal justice committee, he cast the
deciding vote to support the same-sex marriages.

"Terry has religious beliefs that he thinks he's against
that issue . . ." Ms. Curtis said.

Fredericton police and a spokeswoman for Mr. Scott's
office confirmed that the MP, who recently celebrated
his 10th year as a member of the House of Commons,
knew Mr. Curtis. But they would not discuss any
previous encounters between the two men.

There are situations in which religious fanaticism is more a symptom of mental illness than a "belief", and I wouldn't be surprised if this were one of them.

.

[LibertyorDeath]

2. This is disgusting when will these dinosaurs die off.

Terry Curtis, 48 of Fredericton is a disgrace to all open minded Canadians and there's millions of us crazy live and let live types up here MILLIONS !!

[Spazito]

3. The news covered the story itself when it happened but...

it never said the cause of the assault. The assault was disgusting, I hope they throw the book at the guy, wonder if this qualifies under our "hate crime" legislation?

[iverglas]

5. interesting question

wonder if this qualifies under our "hate crime" legislation?

"Hate crimes" are addressed by the section of the Criminal Code dealing with aggravating factors to be considered in sentencing:
http://www.canlii.org/ca/sta/c-46/sec718.2.html

718.2 A court that imposes a sentence shall also take into consideration the following principles:

(a) a sentence should be increased or reduced to account for any relevant aggravating or mitigating circumstances relating to the offence or the offender, and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing,

(i) evidence that the offence was motivated by bias, prejudice or hate based on race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, or any other similar factor, ...

It doesn't specify "the sexual orientation of the victim"!

It's a bit tenuous, though. Applying that provision would mean finding that the assault was motivated by bias etc. against GBLT people, when it was arguably motivated by a difference of political opinion (and of course a desire to do harm to people with whose opinions one differs), even though the opinion in question was about the rights of GBLT people.

And I'm not sure that "bias against people who defend other people's Charter rights" would qualify as bias based on a "similar factor". ;)


As an aside, the House of Commons recently voted to amend the "hate propaganda" section of the Criminal Code (on a private member's bill introduced by Svend Robinson) to add "sexual orientation":
http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/2/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/private/C-250/C-250_3/C-250_cover-E.html

318. (1) Every one who advocates or promotes genocide is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

(2) In this section, "genocide" means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy in whole or in part any identifiable group, namely,

(a) killing members of the group; or

(b) deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction.

(3) No proceeding for an offence under this section shall be instituted without the consent of the Attorney General.

(4) In this section, “identifiable group” means any section of the public distinguished by colour, race, religion, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.

(passed by the House September 17, 2003; hasn't received assent yet, may have to make it through the Senate still?)

[Damodar]

6. vote "no!" to constitutional amendment banning gay marriage

vote "no!" to constitutional amendment banning gay marriage

news poll

www.times-news.com

username: visitor
password: tnweb

There is poll asking if you support a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Click on "Hell no!" and vote!