[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 8, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E983]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ACT OF 2007

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                               speech of

                           HON. BOB ETHERIDGE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 3, 2007

  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation.
  This legislation provides protection to all Americans, and is 
consistent with our proud history as a Nation whose founding principle 
is that all people are created equal. Growing up on a tenant farm in 
rural North Carolina, I learned basic values that say that you treat 
all people with respect. These are the values that America stands for. 
Hate crimes--violent crimes motivated by bigotry against race or creed, 
hatred against nationality or disability, or intolerance for 
difference--have no place in a country that holds fast to those values.
  Mr. Speaker, hate crimes exhibit exceptional circumstances where a 
federal role is appropriate and necessary because the crime is intended 
to intimidate Americans beyond the individual victim or jurisdiction 
where the crime occurs. The bill that the House is considering today 
provides vital support for the prosecution of these most heinous acts 
of violence. It gives local and state law enforcement vital resources 
to investigate and prosecute hate crimes. These resources are 
desperately needed, as small rural police departments sometimes cannot 
afford lengthy and complicated investigations. The funding provided in 
this bill will ensure crimes do not go unresolved due to lack of 
funding.
  This bill appropriately targets crimes that are motivated by hatred 
or bigotry, not the hatred or bigotry itself. While we must work 
towards a world free of racism and prejudice, it is not the place of 
the government to tell people how to think or feel, or what to believe. 
What we can and must do, however, is work to sow the seeds of justice, 
freedom, and equality. We must protect all of our citizens from crime, 
and ensure that justice prevails when hatred leads to violence.
  I support this bill, and I oppose the Republican motion to recommit 
H.R. 1592 because it is a parliamentary maneuver intended to kill this 
legislation.
  This bill is a step towards a more just, more equal, and more free 
society. It provides state and local law enforcement crucial federal 
resources they need, and makes sure that these terrible crimes are 
fully investigated and prosecuted.

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