[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 16, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S9489]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ACT OF 2003

  Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the need for 
hate crimes legislation. On May 1, 2003, Senator Kennedy and I 
introduced the Local Law Enforcement Act, a bill that would add new 
categories to current hate crimes law, sending a signal that violence 
of any kind is unacceptable in our society.
  I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred in Elkhart, 
IN. On November 17, 1999, Sasezley Richardson, a 19-year-old black 
teenager was shot dead as he strolled back from a local mall with 
diapers for a friend's baby. The two men that shot Richardson said they 
shot the young man solely because of his race. The victim was black and 
the perpetrators of the crime were white. One of the shaven-headed 
suspects told police he was a member of the violent, white supremacist 
Aryan Brotherhood, while the other reportedly said he wanted to kill a 
black person in order to get in the group.
  I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to 
defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law 
Enforcement Enhancement Act is a symbol that can become substance. I 
believe that by passing this legislation and changing current law, we 
can change hearts and minds as well.

                          ____________________