Write Your Senators: Protect All People from Hate Crimes
| Take Action Now: Write your senators and urge their support for the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act (S. 909) to fight hate crimes and provide safety and security to all people. |
On Wednesday, April 29, the House of Representatives passed the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (LLEHCPA), acknowledging the need for significant improvements to our current hate crimes laws. The Obama administration as well as over 300 civil rights, human rights, religious, and law enforcement organizations, have come out in support of the bill. The Senate version, the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act (S. 909) is currently under consideration by the Judiciary Committee and senators need to hear from their constituents.
Talking Points
More than 10 years ago, Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old student at the University of Wyoming, was brutally murdered in an anti-gay attack. Since then, thousands of others have been targeted and attacked because of who they are. S. 909 expands the coverage of existing hate crime laws to include not only victims of crimes based on race, color, religion, and national origin, but also bias-motivated crimes based on the victim's actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability.
The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act also gives the federal government jurisdiction in prosecuting hate crimes in states where current law or local law enforcement action are inadequate. This increased protection will help ethnic and/or racial groups that have become targets of hate crimes due to ignorant scapegoating. For example, since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Arab-American community has been subject to numerous bias-motivated hate crimes. And, according to the most recent FBI data, crimes against Latinos increased for the fourth year in a row in 2007. Incidents similar to these could be more effectively investigated and prosecuted if S. 909 is passed.
Hate crimes cut across all of our communities and the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act is needed to ensure that all people have the right to be safe and free from physical harm and intimidation. This bill sends a clear message across the country that Americans do not have to live in fear.
Write your senators and urge support of S. 909 to fight hate crimes and provide safety and security for all people.
Learn more about S. 909.
Read LCCREF's "Confronting the New Faces of Hate: Hate Crimes in America 2009" Report
Dear [ Decision Maker ],
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Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]
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