The Daily Tar Heel carries a big story on the rally here. At it, Ian Palmquist, whose big issue (if he’s the same Ian Palmquist) is getting Wake County to change its sex ed to instruct kids about anal sex for diversity’s sake, had this to say:

When UNC graduate Ian Palmquist returned to the speak-out in the Pit on Tuesday night, an unpleasant sense of familiarity washed over him. Almost seven years before, he had stood on the same bricks during a vigil in honor of hate crime victim Matthew Shepard [who was killed in Wyoming, not in Chapel Hill]. “I’m so pleased that we don’t have another death tonight,” he said. “But I’m outraged that it’s been six years, and I feel like I’m making the same speech.”

One assault after six years ? while terrible on the individual level, as all other assaults are ? does not provide evidence of a great upswell. It certainly doesn’t prove a need for the political “solutions” being called for:

? Revising the state’s “hate-crime” law to include homosexuals.

? “Revisiting” UNC-CH’s report on its “Climate” for homosexuals (per Provost Sheldon’s remarks)

? Create a nondiscriminatory policy at UNC for homosexuals

A question: Isn’t assault already illegal? What makes anyone think that a redundant law would have provided any greater deterrent to this crime? Palmquist et al. must imagine that had the state acted as they wish, then the following scenario would have taken place Friday morning instead of the assault:

First Bigot: “Say, you know what we haven’t done in many a year? Bashed a homo!”

Second Bigot: “Dude, assault is against the law!”

First Bigot: “Aw, it’s just one law. Big deal!”

Third Bigot: “Actually, now there’s a law that says it’s extra-special bad to assault a homosexual.”

Fourth Bigot: “And UNC now has a nondiscriminatory policy towards homosexuals. It’s not law here on Franklin Street, but still ? it’s something to think about, wouldn’t you agree?”

First Bigot: “Well, shoot. Let’s go home and watch Spongebob Squarepants.”

Fifth and Sixth (and Seventh?) Bigots: “Dude. Don’t you know?”