On Aug. 5, six worshippers at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin were killed by a white supremacist. Days later, a transgendered woman was stabbed to death in Washington, DC because of her sexual orientation. No one has been arrested for her murder. In January, two people were sent to prison in New Mexico because they beat up a developmentally challenged Navajo man, drew KKK and white power symbols on his body, and branded him with a swastika.
The inhumane beating and branding of the Navajo man,and the senseless deaths of the Sikh worshippers and the transgendered woman, are only a few of the hate crimes committed in the United States this year. In addition to these oft-reported incidents, thousands of others have experienced violent assaults motivated by racism, religious intolerance, sexism, ableism, gender identity, sexual orientation, or immigration status.
It is time for our national leaders to address the increasing number of hate crimes and hate groups in America.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, hate groups in America have grown by 60% since 2000 to more than one thousand. Since August, approximately 10 Islamic institutions and Muslim communities in seven states have experienced attacks including vandalism, a suspicious fire, shootings and the desecration of religious sanctuaries. The Jewish community continues to experience persistent bias attacks, accounting for 65% of all religiously motivated hate crimes documented by the FBI in 2010. Hate crimes based on anti-Hispanic bias accounted for 67% of ethnically motivated crimes in 2010. And although African Americans were 12.4% of the U.S. population in 2010, they were victims in 70% of all racially motivated hate crimes that year.
Hate crimes are real in America. In the spirit of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, who said; "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," I am calling on all people of conscience to email, write, or call U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member of the Committee on the Judiciary, and voice your concern about the injustices that are committed against Americans because of their race,culture, gender identity, sexual orientation, or religion.
The Matthew Shephard and James Byrd, Jr Hate Crimes Prevention Act became a federal statute to give support to the First Amendment rights and civil liberties of all Americans. Yet, children and adults continue to be harassed, beaten, and murdered because of hate.
Martin Niemöller stated:
"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me."
I add if they come for Sikhs and we do nothing as a country our children's children shall hang their heads in shame wondering why we did not speak and act when history called our name.
Hate crimes are antithetical to equality and justice and silence is the environment where the virus of hate thrives. By speaking up we can inoculate our country from the spread of this deadly spiritual disease.
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/tables/10shrtbl06.xls
Sure. I believe them when they say "hate groups" are growing. Sure I do...
In contrast, each & every single hate-motivated homicide tells the community with which the victim identified that every person who belongs to that particular community should fear for their continued safety, that there is something about them that makes them less than fully human, something that diminishes their value as human beings & makes them fair game. As such, a hate-motivated homicide is infinitely worse than a 'normal' homicide.
Btw, whilst I am not familiar with the figures you cite, I am willing to bet every cent I'll earn for the rest of my life that, if you include rape & other violent crimes against women under the definition of hate crimes (as I believe we should), you would be surprised at the horrific growth of your figures.
It is difficult to find reliable statistics on interracial rape. However, in 2005, according to the Justice Department’s Criminal Victimization in the United States, 33% of white rape victims were raped by blacks while zero percent of black rape victims were raped by whites. In concrete numbers, there were 9,406 black-on-white rapes and fewer than 10 cases of white-on-black rapes.
See Table 42 You may have to copy and paste the link into your browser.
Anti-Abortion = Pro-Choice
Hate Crimes = Crimes
Terrorist Attacks = Demonstrations
etc...
What in fact they are doing is softening the meanings of the crimes to make them more palatable to our ears. Sin is a sin no matter what it was called 100 years ago or yesterday...Hate crimes are crimes of yesterday, and are the same ones that have been around for along time.
Why do we need to put a new title on an old book?
I also think elected officials should have sentence extensions if they break the law (at least in the case of felonies).
Well said
Karma is the result of your action be them words or deeds.
"Name and Faces may not hurt you", but if they cause another to kill or take their life. You shall pay for that KARMIC EVIL until you do enough good to overcome that hate
No matter what others say or laws state, you are responsible for Kamra your words and actions create it is the LAW of NATURE
Karma is like judgement you are what you are and that is all you are. No matter what you say you are. Even though others may hate you for what they are not
But you are not responsible for them, just yourself.
Listen, people: if you *really* think there's 'no such thing as a hate crime,' what's the harm in standing for each other as Americans, ...and why the 'special excuses' and denials?
It is not the false beleive of a Nation State that has some kindered love affair with your insecurities
Believe it or not you are a fellow being of the universty standing on a rock, spinning at 1100 mph.
Hating one another for what difference you preceive is not only childish, selfish it is stupdid
There is too much work for each to do
Mind your own business and let others do for themselves as long as they harm no one else
the more reason to hate.
They screwed up the world,
and now tell you who to hate.
They are the ones who can afford the armies,
They are the ones who control the knowledge.
They are the ones,
who seek only power,
They are the ones,
by whom you would be devoured
I am the one,
who finds an army a burden
i am the one,
who doesnt exist.
How do you defeat a shadow, a ghost?
In their disbelief, they allowed me the most,
Time it will take, and into the pit
one by one, they will chase after power.
be patient, be still,
it will be quite a show
History will be made,
hour by hour.
it is my plan they follow,
as if it were their own,
Judgement is not theirs,
but it will be done.
It is only the time in between that we much spend knowing ourselves and no one else, unless they help us to know ourselves
So as an average American, what am I supposed to do about anonymous killers or drifters who come to an area and murder before commiting suicide?
Let me guess, passing another law - a "hate" crime law - that is going to make a difference? Seriously? How many crimes could be considered to be "love crimes"?
I have a more practical suggestion. Treat everyone equally who commits a crime, whether it is a 'hate crime', a 'love crime', or an 'indifference crime'.
What about the fact that transwomen are the most likely murder victims in the country, is that 'random' too, and nothing to do with the hate speech of the Religious Right?
Until all of us in America come to fully accept people of all races, religions, sexual orientations, etc. as equally precious and deserving of equal treatment, equal access, equal protection, etc., laws directed against different kinds of hatred and discrimination will be necessary, it seems to me.
And that is not the only hate-crime committed by gangs of blacks that has been hidden from American citizens. When the hate-crimes of minorities are covered-up by the governement, the government itself becomes an accessory to the hate-crimes.
I do thing regardless of race, gender, orientation, etc. if the crime committed against you is based on bigotry, then a hate crime extension should be applied. However, this has little to do with which groups are committing hate crimes against who.