[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 4014-4015]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        THE MATTHEW SHEPARD ACT

  Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I wish to speak about the need for hate 
crimes legislation. Each Congress, Senator Kennedy and I introduce hate 
crimes legislation that would strengthen and add new categories to 
current hate crimes law, sending a signal that violence of any kind is 
unacceptable in our society. Likewise, each Congress I have come to the 
floor to highlight a separate hate crime that has occurred in our 
country.
  On the morning of February 23, 2008, Melbourne Brunner and his 
partner were eating at the Floridian restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, FL, 
when they were verbally and physically assaulted. According to Brunner, 
a man at the restaurant began calling the couple antigay slurs, 
threatening to break their necks and kill them. After a few

[[Page 4015]]

moments of suffering the man's insults, Brunner and his partner decided 
to leave. When Brunner attempted to enter his car, the man came from 
behind him, blocked his path, and struck Brunner in the face, causing 
him to hit his head on the pavement. The assailant then reportedly 
walked back to his car, covered up the license plate with his shirt so 
that his tags would not be identified, and sped away. The owner of the 
Floridian restaurant is offering a $5,000 reward for any information 
leading to the capture of this suspect. Brunner was treated at a local 
hospital for severe bruising around his eyes.
  I believe that the Government's first duty is to defend its citizens, 
to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. Federal laws 
intended to protect individuals from heinous and violent crimes 
motivated by hate are woefully inadequate. This legislation would 
better equip the Government to fulfill its most important obligation by 
protecting new groups of people as well as better protecting citizens 
already covered under deficient laws. I believe that by passing this 
legislation and changing current law, we can change hearts and minds as 
well.

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