[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 8369-8370]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                   LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ACT OF 2001

  Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the need for 
hate crimes legislation. In the last Congress 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 September 14, 
2001 in San Francisco, CA. An Australian software engineer was stabbed 
in the chest by someone who thought his friend, a man of Indian and 
Hispanic heritage, was an Arab. The victims say the stabbing took place 
when they were passed by a group while crossing the street. A scuffle 
ensued when the engineer was punched or bumped by one of the men. The 
assailant used racial slurs to describe the victims and said, ``We 
don't like Arabs'' before stabbing the engineer.
  I believe that Government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to 
defend them against the harms that come out

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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.

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