[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8343-8344]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 REMEMBERING RICHARD WILBUR COLLINS III

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Brown) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BROWN of Maryland. Madam Speaker, Richard Wilbur Collins III was 
ready to graduate from Bowie State University yesterday. He just 
finished Army ROTC, was airborne qualified, and was just commissioned a 
second lieutenant in the United States Army's intelligence branch. His 
father is a Navy veteran, and Richard wanted to follow in his footsteps 
and commit his life to serving our Nation. He was ambitious and driven. 
His calling was to protect our country and to do what is right and 
just.

[[Page 8344]]

  He loved soccer and lacrosse. He was the top runner in his ROTC unit. 
His Facebook page was filled with selfies with his friends. He was 
active in his church. His friends and family said that he had a loving 
and giving heart and would go out of his way to try and help others.
  On Saturday morning, while waiting for an Uber ride with two friends 
at the University of Maryland, he was approached by another student who 
demanded that he ``Step left. Step left if you know what is best for 
you.'' Richard simply replied, ``no.'' The other student stabbed him in 
the chest and fled. Richard died in the hospital. His bright future was 
stolen. His parents were robbed of their son. Our hearts are broken.
  This tragedy exposes a dangerous rising tide. This incident was not 
some random act of violence. It was a heinous, despicable, and 
unprovoked crime of hate.
  Richard Collins' murderer--who was from a middle class family, who 
hung out at the student union and library--was a member of a racist 
neo-Nazi group called Alt-Reich Nation. He was not some outsider. He 
was a homegrown terrorist who was radicalized on the university campus.
  What is most troubling is this isn't the first incident of hate at 
the University of Maryland. This academic year alone, there have been 
anti-immigrant chalkings, racist fliers, threats, and, less than a 
month ago, there was a noose found inside a campus fraternity house.
  But this isn't just a troubling trend at the University of Maryland. 
There has been an unprecedented spike in racist and hate activity on 
campuses since November. Posters at the University of Texas implored 
students to report any and all illegal aliens, that America is a White 
nation. Another flier, with swastikas, at UCLA read, in part: ``the 
hordes of our enemies from the Blacks to the Jews are deserving of 
fates of violence.''
  Hate watch groups have tracked 150 racist incidents on college 
campuses in 33 States since the fall. Just a year ago, it was such a 
rarity that no one was even counting.
  Peddlers of hate are specifically targeting college campuses, 
declaring that their time has come, and trying to lure students with 
slogans like ``serve your people'' and ``our destiny is ours.'' They 
are working to translate their online activism to real-world action, 
and young people are prime targets, in part, because they are still 
figuring out who they are and what they believe.
  One would have to be purposefully obtuse to not see a direct line 
from the recent elections to the emboldening of these perpetrators 
across the country. Longtime White supremacist Jared Taylor described 
the November election result as a ``sign of rising White 
consciousness'' and that ``now is the time to press our advantage in 
every way possible.''
  So, today, I am calling on the administration--that has repeatedly 
failed to denounce the hate crimes directed at Jews, members of the 
LGBT community, or immigrants--to denounce the hate-fueled killing of a 
Black soldier, Second Lieutenant Richard Collins.
  The reaction to Collins' murder is often formulaic. We extend our 
condolences and sympathies, call the killing a senseless tragedy, and 
proclaim that we won't tolerate these incidents. That is not good 
enough. If this escalation of hate is going to end in Maryland and 
across the country, it will be because all of us take a stand not only 
against the hard right and hate festering on campus, but to leaders who 
have been too content to remain silent and look the other way.
  Hate speech is not protected. Encouraging open academic debate cannot 
lead to inaction that creates a breeding ground for prejudice, 
discrimination, and violent hatred on our college campuses or anywhere.
  Campuses should adopt successful strategies:
  Consider zero-tolerance policies for hateful speech and acts of 
racism. Maybe if students know that they will be expelled for spreading 
racial slurs online, they will think twice;
  Replicate the University of Massachusetts. They have a hate SWAT team 
that counters hateful messages through an early alert system, a 
counter-messaging response team, and counselors on call;
  Or promote more diverse voices in the faculty and staff.
  Pretending that the murder of Richard Collins in cold blood is an 
isolated incident will only make the situation worse. Diversity and 
unity--that American melting pot that is the foundation of our Nation--
can only happen when the country does a better job confronting hate in 
all forms. We cannot simply start when students arrive on campus.
  In the absence of real change, we take to the streets; we protest; we 
hold vigils. But Richard Collins deserves better. Our children deserve 
better. Let us work together, and let's not wait for another tragedy.
  Farewell and Godspeed, Lieutenant Collins.

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