October 27, 1999

Statement of Barbara R. Arnwine, Executive Director Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

We as a nation are increasingly alarmed and saddened by the growing number of brutal hate crimes perpetrated against our own citizens because of their identity. This tragic violence profoundly affects the civil rights of all Americans. The United States was horrified by the racial violence evidenced when a black man, James Byrd Jr., was dragged to his death by brutal men preaching racial hatred. Although we as a nation would like to believe this was an isolated event, violence of this nature continues to plague our society. We need look no further for evidence than the murder of Matthew Sheppard, the summer shooting spree over three states that injured many and resulted in the death of an African-American man and a young Asian student, the attack of school children at a Jewish daycare center by a white supremacist and the subsequent murder of a Filipino-American postman by that same man. These incidents which occurred because of the racial, religious and sexual identity of the victims, are a constant reminder that hate crimes are a grievous problem in our nation. It is a problem that needs our immediate attention and is one where the United States Congress and the White House have an historic opportunity to provide bipartisan leadership.

The Hate Crimes Prevention Act which was enacted by the United States Senate as part of the Commerce, State and Justice Appropriations Bill was a critical piece of legislation which would have helped to protect the civil rights of all Americans. Until all Americans can freely walk the streets of our nation without fear that their race, gender or sexual orientation will make them targets for hate violence, our quest as a nation for racial equality cannot be fulfilled. This legislation would have assisted local and state law enforcement efforts to enforce and prosecute hate crimes by enhancing federal and state cooperation, by removing obstacles to federal involvement and by providing federal laws to properly address bias motivated crimes in states where the laws are insufficient. Since hatred and violence in our nation effects each one of us, I find it especially troublesome that this critical measure was purposely removed from the CSJ Appropriations Bill.

We must remain committed to passing this historic legislation whose purpose is to address this tragic violence increasingly visited upon the citizens of our nation because of their identity. We must recognize and thank those in United States Congress and the White House who have supported this legislation and provided leadership. I now urge them to continue their support of this important issue and include the provisions of the Hate Crime Prevention Act as part of the final omnibus appropriations measure.

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