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Speech Of
Hon. Bob Etheridge
Of North Carolina
In The House Of Representatives
Thursday, May 3, 2007

Mr. Etheridge: Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation.

This legislation provides protection to all Americans, and is consistent with our proud history as a Nation whose founding principle is that all people are created equal. Growing up on a tenant farm in rural North Carolina, I learned basic values that say that you treat all people with respect. These are the values that America stands for. Hate crimes--violent crimes motivated by bigotry against race or creed, hatred against nationality or disability, or intolerance for difference--have no place in a country that holds fast to those values.

Mr. Speaker, hate crimes exhibit exceptional circumstances where a federal role is appropriate and necessary because the crime is intended to intimidate Americans beyond the individual victim or jurisdiction where the crime occurs. The bill that the House is considering today provides vital support for the prosecution of these most heinous acts of violence. It gives local and state law enforcement vital resources to investigate and prosecute hate crimes. These resources are desperately needed, as small rural police departments sometimes cannot afford lengthy and complicated investigations. The funding provided in this bill will ensure crimes do not go unresolved due to lack of funding.

This bill appropriately targets crimes that are motivated by hatred or bigotry, not the hatred or bigotry itself. While we must work towards a world free of racism and prejudice, it is not the place of the government to tell people how to think or feel, or what to believe. What we can and must do, however, is work to sow the seeds of justice, freedom, and equality. We must protect all of our citizens from crime, and ensure that justice prevails when hatred leads to violence.

I support this bill, and I oppose the Republican motion to recommit H.R. 1592 because it is a parliamentary maneuver intended to kill this legislation.

This bill is a step towards a more just, more equal, and more free society. It provides state and local law enforcement crucial federal resources they need, and makes sure that these terrible crimes are fully investigated and prosecuted.