Attorney David Kallman shares how freedom of speech is under major attack in Michigan

David Kallman has been a licensed attorney in the state of Michigan for the past 40 years. His law firm, the Kallman Legal Group, has clients with legal needs in a wide variety or areas, including business, probate and estate law, general litigation and education law. A number of years ago, in a landmark decision before the Michigan Supreme Court, David helped get home-schooling declared legal in Michigan. He is also the co-founder of the Great Lakes Justice Center which represents clients whose fundamental rights guaranteed by our Constitution are being challenged. David is married to Beth and together they have two children, both of whom they homeschooled through high school. In this podcast, David talks about a bill now before the Michigan House of Representative, HB 4474, which creates the category of "hate crimes" that includes speech which "intimidates or harasses another individual" even if there was no criminal intent on the part of the person speaking. So, for example, merely sharing the Gospel with a person could be viewed as a "hate crime" if the person listening feels harassed or intimidated when they are told about the eternal punishment that awaits the one who refuses to accept God's free gift of salvation. But not only does the law deal with religious issues, but also with other areas, including sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. And maximum punishment for those convicted of a hate crime felony is 5 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. David believes there is a high probability the bill will become law. And what is happening in Michigan is likely to spread elsewhere as well. Sadly, this is where American culture is heading.