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The Need for Hate Crime Laws
Motivated by a hateful ideology, perpetrators of hate crime seek to terrorize not just an individual, but a victim's entire community. Without a swift response, these crimes can spiral into increased tension, hostility and violence. However, when combined with positive community action, the enforcement of hate crime laws can send a powerful, countervailing message which reassures victims and shuns perpetrators. The laws do not punish beliefs or speech. They only take effect if a crime was committed. Such laws were upheld as constitutional by the Supreme...
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Tulsa, Okla. mourns three of its residents after a shooting spree on Good Friday that also left two injured.
Early on the morning of April 6, a white pickup with a low-hanging tailpipe drove into a predominately Black neighborhood in North Tulsa, Okla. The drivers stopped pedestrians to ask for directions. Four men and a woman were stopped, and when they turned to walk away, were gunned down.
The victims seem to have been chosen at random. News reports have called the shootings a racially-motivated rampage.
Unlike the killing of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed Black teen in Florida,...
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Photo Source: Community Oriented Policing Services Following the tragic events of Sept. 11, Arab and Muslim-Americans across the country have faced political, legislative, and social repercussions that have led to the alienation, stigmatization--and in some cases, violence--against Muslim community members. Among rising hate crimes and anti-Muslim rhetoric, law enforcement agencies have experienced pressure to incorporate tactics such as immigration enforcement, intelligence gathering, surveillance, and racial profiling in "counter-terrorism" training...
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"An attack against one person in our community is an attack against all of us." It's a common feeling among Not In Our Town leaders and it was also the message from San Jose City Councilwoman Rose Herrera, speaking at a press conference yesterday.
Herrera joined the San Jose, Calif. police chief in asking witnesses of a November hate crime to come forward. The police are seeking three men who attacked Atul Lall, an East Indian industrial designer, in a supermarket parking lot just before the Thanksgiving holiday. The press conference sought the public's help—...
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One highly motivated and persistent person can help spark significant action in a community.
That's what Jesse Castaneda did in Silicon Valley. Because of his actions, key civic leaders in Santa Clara County renewed their commitment to prevent hate crimes. Since August 2011, Castaneda has been screening the film Not In Our Town: Light in the Darkness with civic leaders, teachers and immigrant groups. While many leaders in the area have been aggressive about addressing hate crimes, the new film, and Jesse's persistence helped shed light on the dangers of anti...
