[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 75 (Thursday, June 11, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H4538-H4539]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        MURDER IN JASPER, TEXAS

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning as a Texan 
and as an American to express my disbelief over the horrendous crime 
that occurred in Jasper, Texas, that is now being called one of the 
most vicious racial crimes in modern Texas history.
  In fact, the local prosecutor there in Jasper said that in his 20 
years of being a prosecutor, he had never seen such a brutal crime.
  I would like to send my deepest condolences to the family of James 
Byrd, Jr. This family is now dealing with the harsh realities of hate 
crime in America. Three men, who are alleged to be connected with white 
supremacy groups, have been charged with murdering a black man by 
chaining him to a pickup truck and dragging him almost three miles on a 
winding road through the woods of east Texas.
  The victim's torso was found one place, his head another place, and 
his arm another place. Along the way, the victim was dismembered. This 
murder painfully illustrates the racial hatred that still exists in our 
society today.

[[Page H4539]]

  Mr. Speaker, we absolutely cannot and should not tolerate any form of 
hate. I am glad that the good people of Jasper, who as well abhor this 
terrible crime, have asked for America's prayers. Violence motivated by 
a bias against a person's personal characteristic represents a serious 
threat to all communities. Experts estimate that a bias-related crime 
is committed every 14 minutes.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, I call on the Federal Bureau of Investigation and 
Attorney General Janet Reno to conduct a full investigation into this 
heinous crime. Let us join together as Americans to say now is the time 
to cease and desist these horrible incidents across our country.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my disbelief over a horrendous 
crime that occurred in Jasper, Texas that is now being called one of 
the most vicious racial crimes in modern Texas history.
  I would like to send my deepest condolences to the family of James 
Byrd, Jr. This family is now dealing with the harsh realities of Hate 
Crime in America.
  Three men, who are alleged to be connected with white supremacy 
groups, have been charged with murdering a black man by chaining him to 
a pickup truck and dragging him almost three miles on a winding road 
through the woods of East Texas.
  Along the way, the victims head and right arm were ripped from his 
mangled body.
  This murder painfully illustrates the racial hatred that still exists 
in our society today. We absolutely can not and should not tolerate any 
form of hate.
  Violence motivated by a bias against a victim's personal 
characteristic represents a serious threat to all communities.
  Experts estimate that a bias-related crime is committed every 14 
minutes, a statistic that highlights a pervasive problem warranting 
immediate action.
  Last year in my home state of Texas, 72 percent of the hate crimes 
reported in the state were fueled by racial or ethnic hatred.
  Today, I call on the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Attorney 
General Janet Reno to conduct a full investigation into this heinous 
crime.
  And I hope the public outrage surrounding this murder will motivate 
the federal authorities to strengthen federal hate crime legislation to 
help bring about an end to these crimes in America.
  Hate Crimes must be afforded special attention because we have a 
compelling interest in protecting our communities from bigotry and 
violence. Hate violence is not only a crime against an individual, but 
an assault against an entire group of people. It affects all of us.
  The consequences of hate crimes reach far beyond the harm inflicted 
on an individual victim, they polarize citizens and exacerbate tension 
in a diverse community. Of the 7,947 hate crime incidents reported to 
the FBI in 1995, sixty percent--4,831--were motivated by race. Of 
these, 2,988 were anti-black.
  The greatest number of hate crimes of any kind are perpetrated 
against African-Americans. Anti-black violence has been and still 
remains the prototypical hate crime.
  Hate crimes against African-Americans have a profound impact on the 
entire society not only for the hurt they cause but for the history 
they recall.
  It is my hope that the perpetrators of this crime receive a quick and 
speedy trial and that justice, in this case, is both swift and 
deliberate. These criminals should never walk the streets as free men 
again.
  For the sake of the Byrd family and all Americans of all races, I 
urge Congress to act in a timely manner to address this issue to bring 
about racial harmony so every American can walk the streets without 
fear.

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