[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 173 (Thursday, December 13, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H10059]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PROTECTING OUR NEIGHBORS

  (Mr. INSLEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, one of the real bright spots following 
September 11 in this country has been the number of times that 
Americans have stood up for tolerance and against hate. Last weekend I 
was at the Northgate Mosque north of Seattle to visit a mosque where 
people had actually tried to burn down the mosque. When I got there, 
there were four people standing out in front of the mosque waiving at 
people driving by, and I asked folks in the mosque what those folks 
were doing. They said that they were a neighborhood watch guard that 
had been established by the neighbors of the mosque, none of whom were 
Muslim, of the Muslim faith, to guard the mosque.
  I think there has been a lot of good sides that we have shown the 
world of protecting our neighbors in this regard.

                              {time}  1015

  Now the U.S. Congress ought to do its part and pass the Local Law 
Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act so that we can help local law 
enforcement help the folks in these neighborhoods protect those who are 
the subject of hate.
  That is the American message, and I think it would be a good holiday 
statement by the U.S. House of Representatives.

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