Hate Crime Alert
July 14, 2003 Reason: Call
your respective Senators at the Capitol Switchboard (202-224-3121),
and urge them to vote for the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement
Act of 2003 (S.966) or any procedural motion that allows
the bill to be considered. Issue: Senators
Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Gordon Smith (R-OR), and Arlen
Specter (R-PA) reintroduced S.966 on May 1, 2003. Currently,
the bill has 49 Senate cosponsors and is awaiting action
by the Judiciary Committee. Legislative Intent: The
federal government is allowed to intervene in the investigation
and prosecution of hate crimes only if they occur on
federal property, or if the victim was participating
in one of six very specific activities, such as voting.
The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2003, popularly
known as the “Hate Crimes Prevention Act” would protect
Americans from crimes based on their real or perceived
race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability or sexual
orientation. Specifically, this legislation would:
- Expand
current federal protections against hate crimes based
on race, religion, and national origin;
- Amend
the criminal code to cover the crimes based on gender,
sexual orientation, and disability;
- Authorize
grants for state and local programs designed to combat
and prevent hate crimes; and
- Enable
the federal government to assist State and local
law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting
hate crimes.
The
Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act would not
provide “special rights” to any one group of
people. Rather, it would ensure equal protection for
all Americans. Although NASW contends that states should
continue to play the primary role in the prosecution
of hate crime violence, a federal law is essential to
complement state statutes and to help states prosecute
these complicated and expensive cases. The bill has strong
bi-partisan support in the Senate, where in the 107th Congress,
it was reported favorably out of the Judiciary Committee
(July 2001) by a 12-7 vote. More than 175 organizations
have endorsed the bill and continue to lobby for its
passage. Social Work Action: The
National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is profoundly
concerned about hate crimes in America. Recent statistics
show an 11 percent increase in hate crimes throughout
the nation. According to F.B.I. statistics, 9,730 hate
crimes were reported in the United States in 2001. These
figures represent more than 26 hate crimes a day. The
data is disturbing because many hate crimes go unreported
and victims are reluctant to go to the police. NASW
believes that hate crimes continue to plague and
terrorize America, and that they engender
a destructive effect on victims and entire communities
across the nation. S.966 is vital legislation that unequivocally
will address criminal atrocities predicated on racial
intolerance and societal indifference, directed at people
who are viewed as outside of America’s mainstream. Please
call, write, or e-mail your Senators and encourage them
to support S.966. Contact: Lawrence
Moore, III at 202-336-8289. |
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