A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Christine Bowman
Congress and AG Eric Holder are Standing Up To Hate. Fundamentalists and GOP Disingenuously Ask, 'Hate? What Hate?'
Hate crimes are up -- especially against gays and Latinos. "There has been a documented rise in these threats of violence" which have been "stoked by extreme political rhetoric... sensationalism and irresponsibility that we've seen on talk-show radio and other forms of communication, like the Internet," Wade Henderson, head of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, reports.
A new and broader hate-crime bill that should help address the issue passed in the House in late April [vote summary here], and it is slated to be taken up by the Senate before August. Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) introduced the bill, and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Arlen Specter (D-PA) are cosponsors. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) called hate crimes "a unique brand of evil" that distresses entire communities.
Paraphrasing a summary by the Human Rights Campaign, the bill would give the Department of Justice (DOJ) the power to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated violence when the perpetrator selected the victim because of their actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. It would also let the DOJ aid state and local jurisdictions or take the lead in investigations and prosecutions of bias-motivated, violent crimes resulting in death or serious bodily injury. Finally, the bill would provide for grants to help state and local communities combat violent crimes committed by juveniles, train law enforcement officers or assist in investigations and prosecutions.
That is what is being done on the legislative side to keep America safe from ideologically-driven violence. Attorney General Eric Holder, too, is ready to fight back against crimes driven by hate. Tuesday, speaking before the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, Holder was unequivocal in his support for the bill and vowed to use the full power of the DOJ to protect all Americans. Here's part of what he said:
Over the last several weeks, we have witnessed brazen acts of violence, committed in places that many would have considered unthinkable – a sacred memorial in the nation’s capital, a recruiting station for the nation’s armed forces, and a church in the nation’s heartland. The violence in Washington, Little Rock, and Wichita reminds us of the potential threat posed by violent extremists and the tragedy that ensues when reasoned discourse is replaced by armed confrontation. ...
But neither our respect for the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech, nor our earnest hope for common ground, can justify the violence we saw in Kansas. We will not tolerate murder, or the threat of violence, masquerading as political activism. So let me be clear, the Justice Department will use every tool at its disposal to protect the rights ensured under our constitution. And we will do all that we can to deter violence against reproductive health care providers and to prosecute those who commit such violence to the fullest extent of the law. ...
The violence we have seen during the last month may seem daunting to some. But I view these tragedies as a call to action. ... Let us commit ourselves – regardless of party affiliation or political viewpoint – to the difficult work ahead: building an America in which the kind of violence we have seen these last few weeks is but a distant memory. And building an America in which all of our Nation’s citizens, in equal measure, enjoy the fruits of our founding documents. [our emphasis]
http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/speeches/2009/ag-speech-090616.html
Holder also addressed voting rights: "Our commitment to Equal Protection -- and to full participation in our nation's elections -- will not waiver." (A case now before the Supreme Court of the United States challenges Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.) He said the DOJ's Civil Rights Division "is on its way to regaining its luster."
All that is music to progressives' ears, of course. Although Obama's attorney general has disappointed many in how he has continued some cases begun under the Bush Administration, he does stand up for principles, as when he argued for the release of the torture memos in April. And he told a West Point audience, "the strength of our nation has always been our ability to correct course ..."
Do not let it be said that the right wingers do not have their principles, too. They're just different. Ashley Horne, analyst for Focus on the Family Action, enunciated the do-nothing principle: "Hate-crimes laws are unnecessary in a civil society like ours based on the rule of law. ... Democrats in Congress who are pushing this legislation forward really just have a solution looking for a problem." Yes, the right stands firmly against "the homosexual agenda," as they put it, and against reproductive freedom. The recent hate-drenched shooters had principles, too. They just lacked certain others.
Hate crimes occur at least once every hour in the United States. Can the GOP come to grips with that? Can they cut loose their radical fringe and follow the lead of the "Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act" cosponsors Snowe and Collins? "Equal Protection" -- it's for all Americans.
Note: The bill's opponents identify the following as needing to hear from citizens:
| x | Blanche Lincoln D- AR | 202-224-4843 |
| x | Byron L. Dorgan D- ND | 202-224-2551 |
| x | Herb Kohl D-WI | 202-224-5653 |
| x | James Webb D- VA | 202-224-4024 |
| x | Jon Tester D- MT | 202-224-2644 |
| x | Kay Hagan D- NC | 202-224-6342 |
| x | Kent Conrad D- ND | 202-224-2043 |
| x | Mark Pryor D- AR | 202-224-2353 |
| x | Mark Warner D- VA | 202-224-2023 |
| x | Max Baucus D- MT | 202-224-2651 |
| x | Michael Bennet D- CO | 202-224-5852 |
| x | Robert C. Byrd D- WV | 202-224-3954 |
| x | Russ Feingold D-WI | 202-224-5323 |
| x | Ted Kaufman D-DE | 202-224-5042 |
| x | Thomas Carper D- DE | 202-224-2441 |
| x | Tom Udall D- NM | 202-224-6621 |
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