[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 75 (Tuesday, June 13, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1137]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             CONDEMNING HATE CRIMES AND RACIAL INTOLERANCE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 13, 2006

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank my friend and fellow 
Californian, Congressman Joe Baca for organizing this Special Order to 
condemn hate crimes and racial intolerance, and particularly to address 
the very dangerous and growing problem of the use of the Internet to 
spread racism, bigotry, prejudice and anti-Semitism.
  Mr. Speaker, I can speak personally of the horrors that can result 
from the propagation of hate. Such messages can be spread in many ways, 
but perhaps the most recent medium, the Internet, is the most effective 
and therefore the most dangerous. Modern technology has given us the 
ability to spread information and ideas far and wide almost instantly, 
and, as a result, the world has become very small indeed. Hate messages 
can circle the globe in minutes or even seconds. The circumstances of 
the terrorist arrests in Canada, the United States, and Europe just 
this last week are a reflection of how quickly messages of intolerance 
and exhortations to violence can be widely spread on the Internet.
  Because of my deep concern for human rights, I co-founded the 
Congressional Human Rights Caucus in 1983. In 1995, a number of 
colleagues joined me in founding the Congressional Task Force Against 
Anti-Semitism to address more specifically problems of racial 
intolerance, bigotry, prejudice, and anti-Semitism. I continue to co-
chair both groups and remain steadfastly committed to fighting such 
ugly and vicious hatred. This is a battle in which we must all be 
engaged. We confront a central danger to America's national interests 
and cannot be complacent in the face of such threats.
  Mr. Speaker, the Anti-Defamation League, which monitors far-right 
extremists, reports that neo-Nazis and white supremacists have 
capitalized on the recent immigration reform debate and have ratcheted 
up their anti-Hispanic action. Racist use of the national debate to 
further their ideology in pursuit of a ``Whites only'' America is a 
hateful display and reminds us of the insidious racism, prejudice, and 
anti-Semitism that exists and that is spread on the Internet.
  The Anti-Defamation League reports a disturbing trend of increased 
violence against Hispanics and of persistently troubling levels of 
anti-Semitism. Games that target particular immigrant, ethnic or 
religious groups are indicative of the deeply-rooted hatred that we 
confront. The recent up-tick in the spread of racist shoot-to-kill 
video games on the Internet is very disconcerting. The level and 
intensity of attacks against Hispanics has reached dangerous new highs, 
with right-wing extremists joining anti-immigration groups. The recent 
racist protests and rallies held across our nation are a disgrace to 
our country and a threat to American stability.
  Immigration is likely the most important factor in the growth of 
extremist groups, and in their gaining new members. We must be vigilant 
is guarding against the racist, xenophobic sentiments surrounding our 
immigration debates. While such hatred is sadly not new, our recent 
debates and legislation are attracting the attention of extremists. 
Over the weekend, the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis protested nearby at 
the Antietamm National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, Maryland. Under the 
auspices of speaking out against ``black on white crime'' and illegal 
immigration, the message vocalized could not have been clearer: as a 
Klan member said, ``Mexicans, Jews, all these immigrants, we want them 
out of here . . .'' Such rhetoric is frightening.
  There is no gain, but loss by all, when hatred and anger are spread. 
Hispanics, regardless of their citizenship or immigration status, are 
increasingly becoming the targets of hatred and violence from white 
supremacists.
  In an attempt to call attention to some of the problems of modern 
tools for spreading hate, the Congressional Task Force Against Anti-
Semitism sponsored a briefing last September that highlighted the 
importance of fostering international cooperation in combating internet 
hate, and of working with organizations like the OSCE to combat anti-
Semitism globally.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join in working together to 
find ways to stop the use of the Internet to spread hate, so that we 
will not suffer horrible consequences. As I learned personally and 
tragically over six decades ago, words have consequences. Hate, 
intolerance, bigotry, prejudice, and Anti-Semitism lead to actions that 
a free society such as ours can--and must--never tolerate. We must 
speak out, we must take action.

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