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On the day that President Obama finally — after a decade of Congressional dithering — signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, I sit here reading about the gang rape of a 15-year-old girl in Richmond, Calif. that involved probably 10 assailants over a two-hour period on a high school campus after the homecoming dance. And I read about the cinematic luminaries rushing to Roman Polanski's defense, signing petitions and saying he's suffered enough in his life. I see that bombings in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq are making October the deadliest month our troops have seen in years, not to mention the civilian casualties. I read that violence against women is at epidemic levels and I hear that hate crimes, in general, are not documented or reported by over 4,000 police departments across the country.

According to the FBI, sexual orientation is third on the list of hate crime motivations, behind race (against African-Americans) and religion (against Jews). Depending on what's happening in the world, other groups may see an uptick in their stats, as well, as Muslims did after September 11, 2001 and Hispanics do when immigration is discussed. Globally, the Taliban, al-Qaeda, the Sunnis and the Shi'a... some of them don't like each other and none of them really like Americans so, bombs away.

I still remember being absolutely horrified upon hearing about the James Byrd Jr. murder. In case you don't recall, Byrd was beaten, stripped, and chained behind a pick-up truck by three white guys in Jasper, Texas in 1998. They dragged him for three miles — while he was alive — until his body hit a culvert which decapitated him. Matt Shepard's story is just as sickening, as are the stories of gang rape that seem to keep coming from the East Bay. For two hours this latest victim was assaulted while people walked by and security guards missed the boat. Apparently, the guys in custody are showing absolutely no remorse. Neither did Byrd's killers.

What's wrong with people? Seriously. Why do we do these things to one another? Is it to feel better about ourselves? Is it to feel more powerful? Is it to get a point across?

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said of this week's Peshawar bombings: “These attacks on innocent people are cowardly; they are not courageous, they are cowardly. If the people behind these attacks were so sure of their beliefs, let them join the political process. They know they are on the losing side of history. But they are determined to take as many lives with them as their movement is finally exposed for the nihilistic, empty effort it is.”

Physical violence is horrific. No doubt about that. But so is the violence perpetrated upon the poor, the helpless, the sick, the elderly, and all of the other at-risk populations by the politicians who refuse to pass a robust health care reform bill or to allow victims of rape to file charges against their attackers.

It ain't none of right.