“I’m calling on Pope Francis and Cardinal Cupich to send this hateful bigot packing,” [Ald.] Mell wrote [on her Facebook page]. “If the church is serious about restoring trust with its parishioners and spreading a message of love and tolerance, this is a perfect opportunity. This is a hate crime — plain and simple. I’m asking the City and Federal government to treat it as one.”
Won’t happen, however, according to
Julie Justicz, director of the hate crimes project at the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.
“While we advocate strongly against hate crimes, I have a hard time calling this a hate crime,” Justicz said. “There isn’t an underlying crime that would make it a hate crime under Illinois law.”
Under state law, she said, a crime like battery or assault would have to accompany biased motivation or discriminatory intent.
Nobody got punched out. So maybe the alderman might want to cool down.
But she sure wants the priest’s head. A regular Salome, she is.
via Chicago Tribune
Blithe Spirit 