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They also fail to guarantee everyone equal protection under the law.Īll of this simply goes to show why Arkansas does not need a hate crimes law. Hate crimes laws encourage courts to punish criminals for their beliefs rather than simply for their actions. Stories like these underscore how hate crimes laws create unequal penalties for crimes. The sentence for those crimes likely would be a year or two in jail - not 16. He might have been charged with theft, reckless use of fire, or even harassment, but not a hate crime.
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If this man had stolen and burned an American flag, he would not have been convicted of a hate crime, and he probably would not have been sentenced to 16 years in jail. Adolfo Martinez, 30, stole the flag from United Church of Christ in Ames, Iowa, because he hated gay people before burning it outside Dangerous Curves lap dancing club. This is a case where sensitivity training could have value since the perpetrators are young, and it’s been shown that attitudes toward LGBTQ people can change.The Washington Times reports that an Iowa man who stole an LGBT flag from a church and set the flag on fire has been sentenced to 16 years in jail.įifteen years of that sentence are due to the fact that prosecutors deemed stealing and burning a gay pride flag as a hate crime. I agree with Rickards that the incident is sickening, and a suspension is merited. There’s got to be consequences for that.” “We have one rule in our program, and that is not to embarrass yourself, your family or your team,” he said. He pled guilty to the crimefor which he was sentenced to 16 years in the state penitentiary.
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Rickards said that in his seven years as coach he has sought to stop players from bullying. Last summer, Adolfo Martinez, 30, of Ames, Iowa, stole the LGBTQ pride flag hung above the entrance to the Ames United Church of Christ, and burned it in front of the nearby Dangerous Curves Gentleman’s Club. We need to condemn hatred and bigotry wherever we see it.” “Looking at the video, whether if it was intended as a joke or as a serious and broad threat against LGBTQ individuals, it’s still a reprehensible act. ”We are having police look at it to ensure that there is no criminal implications,” spokesman Ben Horsley told ABC News in an interview on Tuesday. The Granite School District, of which Kearns High is a part, said it’s investigating the incident and that two players were involved, including a 15-year-old incoming freshman. Someone in the video is heard saying “all gays die.”Īnother player reposted the video before it came to the attention of administrators and athletics staff. “It’s potentially a hate crime, so it sickens me.”Ī player posted a video on Snapchat last week where someone lights an LGBTQ Pride flag on fire and laughs. Ames United Church of Christ An Iowa man will spend up to 16 years behind bars for stealing a pride flag from an Iowa church.
IOWA GAY PRIDE FLAG BURNING TV
“There’s no place for that in our program at all, and it won’t be tolerated,” Matt Rickards, head coach of the Kearns High School team told a local TV station. Ames United Church of Christ with the pride flag before it was burned. A Utah high school football coach suspended two players who burned an LGBTQ Pride flag on social media, with one heard to say “all gays die.”