[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 24046]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR PASSAGE OF MEANINGFUL HATE CRIMES PREVENTION 
                              LEGISLATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join with the gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Woolsey), the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. 
Morella), the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Louis), the gentlewoman from 
Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin), and others here today to express my strong 
support for the passage of meaningful hate crimes prevention 
legislation, and in particular, the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement 
Act of 2001, which I am proud to be a cosponsor of.
  During these difficult times, it is critical that we stand together 
as one people united against a common enemy. In the past months we have 
witnessed the worst of humanity. On September 11, over 3,500 of our 
fellow human beings were murdered by extremists whose sole motivation 
was a pure hatred of America and the freedom and diversity that define 
our Nation. We must combat this horrible act by holding those 
responsible to account, and we must combat this horrible act by sending 
a powerful and clear message to the world that we are a Nation that 
values tolerance, acceptance, understanding; and we are a Nation that 
celebrates our diversity.
  At no time in the great history of this Nation has it been more 
important for us to take a stand against hatred, scapegoating, and 
prejudice that can affect and destroy a society. Never has it been more 
important for us to reach out to our friends and neighbors of Arabic 
descent or of the Islamic faith, demonstrating how much we value them 
as members of our community.
  Nothing would aggravate and undermine the forces that committed the 
horrible atrocities of September 11 more than redoubling our efforts to 
protect and respect and uphold the rights of all.
  Mr. Speaker, since September 11, hate crimes against Muslim and Arab 
Americans and immigrants have increased all over the country. From 
small towns to large cities, we have seen incidents of physical and 
verbal abuse. More than 1,200 cases of hate-motivated attacks or 
assault against members of the Muslim and Arab communities have been 
documented in just 3 months.
  As Members of Congress, we must act now to reassure our American 
Muslim and Arabic communities that they and their families are safe and 
welcome and we value their presence in our country.
  America has always been a Nation of tremendous diversity. As our men 
and women in uniform risk their lives to protect our way of life, 
nothing could send them a stronger message of support than an America 
that finds strength in the differences in heritage and beliefs that 
make us uniquely American. Bias, bigotry, scapegoating, prejudice, 
discrimination, and hateful persecution have no place in American 
society. It is time we solidified such a position with the full force 
of the law.
  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said, and I quote, ``Injustice 
anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'' Mr. Speaker, as we fight 
to bring those who have attacked us to justice, we must not overlook 
the injustices that are still present in our own society. Hate crimes 
are serious and well-documented problems, yet they remain inadequately 
recognized. The current Federal hate crimes statute is limited to 
crimes motivated by discrimination on the basis of race, religion, 
color, or national origin. Unfortunately, hate crimes committed in this 
country are broader than that. Current law excludes other communities 
of individuals who are victimized just as often for other reasons.
  The importance of congressional action on this crucial issue cannot 
be overemphasized. Unlike other crimes, hate-motivated crimes not only 
affect individuals or families, they permanently scar entire 
communities. Only by recognizing and combatting these crimes can we all 
begin to eradicate the bias and bigotry that remains all too prevalent 
in today's society.
  We must work to rid our schools and our neighborhoods and our 
communities of hatred. We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to each other, 
and we owe it to our children who look to us for guidance.
  The time has come to break down the walls of ignorance once and for 
all and replace them with communities built on tolerance, justice, and 
compassion. The perpetrators of hate crimes are not the only guilty 
parties. Silence, complacency, and indifference in the face of such 
brutal attacks are allies, as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join in the fight for a 
Nation united against the evils of bigotry and hate directed against 
anyone in our society. Let us bring this legislation to the floor that 
has been championed by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) so 
valiantly over the years. Let us pass it through this House, and let us 
send a message to the rest of the world that the United States of 
America will not tolerate hate crimes. It is a message that needs to be 
sent now.

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