[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 146 (Wednesday, October 14, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12537-S12538]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                              HATE CRIMES

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, we have seen the issue of hate crimes 
again tragically before the American people with a horrendous event in 
Laramie, WY, on October 6, just last week, where a young man, Matthew 
Shepard, was kidnaped, robbed, severely beaten, and left tied to a 
fence in freezing weather. He died 5 days later from his wounds.
  Two men have been charged with the murder. It appears that the attack 
was motivated at least in part by an antigay bias. Police have stated 
that while robbery was the main motive for the attack, that Mr. Shepard 
was apparently chosen as a victim because he was gay.
  It has been reported by the investigators that the two suspects lured 
Mr. Shepard from the bar by stating that they, too, were gay and wanted 
to meet with him. The girlfriend of one of the two suspects has stated 
that Shepard was targeted because he had flirted with the suspect 
earlier that evening and allegedly embarrassed him.
  The issue of hate crimes was very much a national focus months ago, 
on June 7 of 1998, when Mr. James Byrd, Jr., an African-American, was 
kidnaped and killed by being dragged from the back of a pickup truck. 
Three white men have been charged with the murder. The evidence 
indicates that there was racial motivation for the attack. Authorities 
have stated that all three suspects were white supremacists and had 
white supremacist tattoos on their bodies. All three were identified as 
belonging to the Ku Klux Klan and the Confederate Knights of America 
while serving in prison. Racist literature was seized from the home 
shared by the suspects.
  The current hate crime legislation was deemed inadequate on the 
murder of Mr. Byrd because the victim was attacked in a way where he 
was not seeking to exercise a federally protected right.
  On November 13, 1997, Senator Kennedy, Senator Wyden, and I 
introduced the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which has not moved forward. 
It is my view that there is no place in America for

[[Page S12538]]

hate. There is just no place in America for hate. There is no place for 
hatred of African-Americans, hatred of Asians, and there is no place 
for hatred of Jews, Muslims, gays, or anyone else. That is antithetical 
to America, antithetical to the concepts of the melting pot. We see 
around the world what has happened in places like Bosnia, and we see 
what has happened in Kosovo, and we have seen what has happened in 
Africa. But in the United States, there is no place for hate.
  I have asked both leaders in the Congress and the President to push 
to have this legislation included in the final Omnibus Appropriations 
Act. I know it is difficult to do. Let's see what happens on it. There 
ought to be a very, very strong stand taken against hate. Gays ought to 
be included in the protection, and we ought not to have the highly 
technical, legalistic concepts of the exercise of a federally protected 
right.
  I served for 8 years as district attorney of Philadelphia and 4 years 
as assistant district attorney before that, and crime was horrendous. 
But when hate is added to the crime, it becomes an intolerable 
circumstance, something which should be acted upon by the Congress of 
the United States. The legislation has been modified to arrive at a 
situation where local authorities would call for Federal assistance. I 
am not sure that is a wise provision, because so frequently we find 
local authorities unwilling to act, and that is really the reason for 
the necessity for Federal action. But the legislation has been modified 
in a number of important respects to try to give an impetus for 
enactment. We should not await the next tragedy on hate--whether it is 
directed to someone of Asian ancestry, or someone who is Jewish, or a 
Muslim, or a gay, or an African-American--to motivate us to take the 
appropriate steps and be very, very tough in the response and 
prosecution of those offenses.
  Mr. President, in the absence of anyone else seeking recognition, I 
suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cochran). The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. GREGG. I ask unanimous consent to proceed as in morning business 
for 5 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from New Hampshire is recognized.

                          ____________________