[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 139 (Thursday, October 14, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              HATE CRIMES

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 13, 1999

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to rise this evening to join my 
colleagues in calling on the Republican Leadership to bring hate crimes 
legislation to the floor of this House.
  For too long, this House has failed to act in the face of the growing 
list of victims who have fallen to the culture of hatred that seems to 
be on the rise in this country. We have seen synagogues burned to the 
ground. We have seen James Byrd dragged to his death down a dusty road 
in Texas. And one year ago yesterday, we lost Matthew Shepard after he 
was beaten and left for dead on a cold night in Laramie, WY. And there 
have been too many stories, some that the Nation has not yet heard, of 
young men and women visited by untimely and violent deaths.
  In Texas City, TX, Laaron Morris and Kevin Tryals were shot to death, 
one of their bodies left in a burning car, simply because they were 
gay.
  In Ft. Lauderdale, CA, Jody-Gaye Bailey was shot in the head by a 
self-proclaimed skinhead. Minutes before the shooting, her assailant 
ranted about his desire to kill her just because she was black.
  In Sylacauga, AL, Billy Jack Gaither was beaten to death with an ax 
handle, his body set afire on a pile of burning tires, because he was 
gay.
  In Kenosha, WI, two African-American teens were intentionally run 
down while walking on the sidewalk. Eight years earlier, their 
assailant had deliberately rammed a van carrying five African-American 
men.
  In northern California, three synagogues were burned to the ground by 
two brothers who are also suspected of gunning down two gay men in 
Redding, CA.
  Even as violent crime continues to decline in America, the awful list 
of hate crime victims continues to grow. According to the FBI, there 
were nearly 8,000 hate crimes committed in 1995 alone. From attacks on 
synagogues in northern California early this summer to the tear gassing 
of a gay pride parade in San Diego this past August, we have seen 
assault after assault on individuals because of their religion, their 
race, or their sexual orientation.
  We are all appalled by these violent, hateful crimes. But how many 
more of our citizens have to fall to the epidemic of hate crime in this 
country before this House is compelled to act? We passed resolutions 
condemning hatred and racism. We came to the floor of this House and 
sent out thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims. We spoke 
of the loss of values in America. But a Nation's values must also be 
reflected in its laws. We should not just speak of our outrage. We 
should pass this legislation and help put a stop to acts of hatred.
  Currently, the law only allows the prosecution of a hate crime if it 
is committed while the victim is exercising a federally protected 
right, such as voting or attending school. This law was written to 
address the challenge of segregationists attempting to prevent 
minorities from voting or going to school, it does not meet the 
challenge of today's hate groups that seek to terrorize entire 
communities with their violent acts. By passing the Hate Crimes 
Prevention Act, we empower federal prosecutors to assist local law 
enforcement in finding and punishing those who commit hate crimes based 
on a person's race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.
  Hate crimes are not just assaults on individual victims, they are an 
assault on entire communities. The murder of one gay man is about 
attacking the entire gay community. Burning down a synagogue is about 
striking fear into the hearts of Jews everywhere. Let's call hate 
crimes what they really are--terrorism. When the supporters of hatred 
and division turn their thoughts into hateful acts, they need to know 
that we will come after them with full force of law and that they will 
pay for their crimes.
  I want to thank my colleagues who came to the floor this evening to 
keep this issue on the national agenda. We will continue to fight for 
passage of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act and we will not stop until it 
is the law of the land. Let us do this in memory of the victims of hate 
crimes. And let's do it to ensure that we are not here this time next 
year, remembering the life of Matthew Shepard and mourning the loss of 
another 8,000 victims of hate crimes.




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