First off, let's note that Santorum (and Scalia) were correct after the Texas sodomy case.
To prove it, we have the following, via Bettnet:
Now our lawmakers--apprently with nothing better to do--are hard at work legalizing bestiality.
You read that right.
As the linked article says, everyone laughed 2-1/2 years ago (or more accurately, screamed in outrage) when Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum predicted that gay marriage would eventually lead to every kind of abomination, including legalized bestiality. How horrid, they said, to level such a slur against homosexuals.
In fact, the legislature is considering a bill to legalize all kinds of things we once knew were wrong.
Sponsored by Senators Cynthia Creem and Robert O'Leary, and Representatives Michael Festa and David Linsky, the bestiality measure was buried in a packaged assault on morality, disguised as "An Act Relative to Archaic Crimes".
The bill would strike down several sections of the current penal code criminalizing adultery, fornication and the advertisement of abortion. It also repeals what appears to be a sodomy statute forbidding "abominable and detestable crime against nature, either with mankind or with a beast".
No, we are NOT Making This Up.
Unfortunately, this information came from a recent article in Weekly Dig, in which the author, Rob McMorrow, did absolutely no research before publishing his opinions. The bill in question does not repeal the crime of bestiality. In fact it expands the law and makes it easier for prosecutors to bring charges against such people. The current law only forbids sexual acts on "beasts" which is legally limited to hooved animals such as cows, sheep and pigs. By re-writing the law to use the word "animal", the statute will now--for the first time--prohibit sex acts with dogs, cats, fowl and any other animal. In addition, the penalty has not been decreased in any way. The maximum penalty is still 20 years in prison. The effect of 2 1/2 year house of correction penalty is to allow the District Attorney to charge some cases in District Court rather than always having to obtain a grand jury indictment and proceed to Superior Court. The new fine also follows modern criminal statute drafting practices by giving the prosecutor and courts a range of potential sentencing options.
ReplyDeleteFor these reasons, the proposed bill was endorsed by the Humane Society and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Finally, it should be noted that Weekly Dig is a newspaper that is meant to be humorous. To the extent that Mr. McMorrow holds himself out as a legitimate journalist, he is a very poor one.
Thank you for your attention to this important piece of legislation.
Sean J. Kealy
Legal Counsel
Senator Cynthia S. Creem