Civil Rights Protesters Surround The Justice Department, Demand More Focus On Hate Crimes
Civil Rights Protesters Surround The Justice Department, Demand More Focus On Hate Crimes
Earlier this month, USA Today reported that “the Justice Department is prosecuting the fewest hate crimes in 10 years” with 22 people charged with hate crimes by the department last year, which is “down 71% from 76 in 1997.” The decline in hate crimes prosecutions accompanies a series of high-profile “racially charged incidents over the past year and a half” — such as the Jena 6 controversy — that have ignited the passions of the civil rights community.
That passion was on display today in Washington D.C., where thousands of protesters encircled the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, demanding, in the words of Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL), either “stronger laws” or “a more aggressive commitment from the Department of Justice.”
During the march, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) told CNN’s Don Lemon that the “bottom line” was that “vulnerable Americans need to have confidence in the Department of Justice and the Civil Rights Division”:
Bottom line is, we want the lights turned on. We want a restored Civil Rights Division. We want it replenished in terms of staffing and funding, which the Bush administration has cut. And we want the new attorney general to wake up and understand that vulnerable Americans need to have confidence in the Department of Justice and the Civil Rights Division.
Watch CNN’s coverage of the march:
As Lemon noted in his report, “the Justice Department did not want to appear on camera” discussing the march, but Attorney General Michael Mukasey did release a statement in which he both defended the department and commended the demonstrators:
The mission of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is as vital today as when it was created 50 years ago. Those who march today should be commended for highlighting the issues of tolerance and civil liberties. We hope that all can agree that it is the criminals who commit violent acts of hate who deserve the loudest protest. And as long as hatred and racism exist, the Justice Department will continue its hard and effective work on behalf of all victims of hate crimes.
Both the House and the Senate have passed hate crimes bills this year, but the Bush administration has threatened to veto any stand alone hate crimes legislation.
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23 Responses to “Civil Rights Protesters Surround The Justice Department, Demand More Focus On Hate Crimes”
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I gotta say, Mukasey's statement is not what one might expect from a BushCo appointee. One would expect the demonstrators to be smeared as traitors and wanting the terrorists to win.
November 16th, 2007 at 8:09 pmOT - Here's a story to blow your mind on a Friday night.
Incredible Comet Bigger than the Sun
A comet that has delighted backyard astronomers in recent weeks after an unexpected eruption has now grown larger than the sun.
The sun remains by far the most massive object in the solar system, with an extended influence of particles that reaches all the planets. But the comparatively tiny Comet Holmes has released so much gas and dust that its extended atmosphere, or coma, is larger than the diameter of the sun. The comparison is clear in a new image.
"It continues to expand and is now the largest single object in the solar system," according to astronomers at the University of Hawaii.
Full story:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20071115/sc_space/incrediblecometbiggerthanthesun
***I can even see it here from Andromeda!
November 16th, 2007 at 8:22 pmHey Andromeda dude,
I read about that earlier, and I wonder what the universe has in store. Maybe those Russian cult freaks know something. LOL.
November 16th, 2007 at 8:30 pmThis is an important issue and needs to be addressed in the larger context of what kind of a society we have degenerated into or at least what we're headed towards BUT the hate crime bill is NOT the answer.
If anything it's a slippery slope leading straight to Hell. What about hate towards Muslims or my hate towards jesus-freaks, or the nutjob's hate for liberals or Bush's hate for Iran or the world's hate for Bush. What qualifies as a hate crime in what case? Who decides? Muslims find any depictions of the Prophet Mohammad offensive and degrading depictions, positively hateful. What about a law against that? You get the idea.
A really wish a propaganda pushed Republican-kind of quick fix "solution" is avoided at all costs. This is NOT a Black or White issue, no pun intended.
OK, fine, pun intended but you know what I mean.
November 16th, 2007 at 8:42 pmSheila Jackson Lee one of my favorites.
November 16th, 2007 at 9:17 pmThe lack of interest, funds, respect towards Katrina victims by this current administration speaks volumes and may have been the turning point for many. Actions, or lack of, speak louder that words.
I am in support of the demonstrations and feel they are justified.
But the bigger picture: We have huge class issues in which the black race is included.
Abby, do you know the difference between hate and a hate crime? Because it sure seems like you don't. They are quite different things.
November 16th, 2007 at 9:27 pmandromeda dude,
it's big, but not as big as....
dreamcrusher's ego!
right, dc?
November 16th, 2007 at 9:35 pmLots of problems in the US now, but this is what happens when fascist leaders like Bush gain power > everything goes down the tubes. Expect things to get worse next year. Heck the drought in Georgia might result in Atlanta having no potable water, thus massive panic, and the first big city in America to be put under martial law.
November 16th, 2007 at 9:58 pmAbby, do you know the difference between hate and a hate crime? Because it sure seems like you don’t. They are quite different things.
Comment by Lefty Patriot — November 16, 2007 @ 9:27 pm
----------------
As I understand this:
(1) Hate, today, would be a degrading depiction of the Prophet Mohammad.
(2) Hate crime would be when our greatest ever deliberating legislative body in History had declared such depictions illegal, against the law and prescribed a penalty for which is now deemed a crime.
Is there anything more to it than that? I'd like to know. I don't come here to issue a final decree. I come here to give my 2 cents and collect everybody else's 2 cents.
Peace.
November 16th, 2007 at 10:49 pmUnfortunately, I'm sure the Shrub mafia has reported this as them being so effective against crime - after all, there's a 70% drop in hate crime.
November 16th, 2007 at 10:54 pmCmon now, the DOJ needs to spend more time making powerpoint presentations and helping the repubs win elections they cant be bothered with this stuff
/snark
November 16th, 2007 at 11:05 pmnot able to read the comments... maher is on any minute...
i just want to say HOO-RAAAAH for this action!
and TP - the next antiwar/peace march had better get, on this site,
at LEAST the same amount of space, in the same timely manner,
as this civil rights march is getting now...
thanks...
...
maybe no maher tonight...
November 16th, 2007 at 11:11 pmlater, maybe...
no maher tonight... found this on the site... appropos to this:
New Rule:
November 16th, 2007 at 11:22 pm"In America, it's not the haves and have-nots.
It's the haves and the been-hads."
attention please...
we need a clean up of aisles 14 thru 17 please...
thank you.
November 16th, 2007 at 11:56 pmexcellent job...
that one should be bannished for good...
thanks!
g'nite...
November 17th, 2007 at 12:27 amAnother veto threat from Mr. Relevancy. So apparently he is relevant if he is against sick children, victims of hate crimes, veterans, the poor, the elderly, in general, the American people, but FOR retroactive immunity for criminal corporations.
So in Bush world, criminals = good, sick children = bad. Republican values baffle me.
November 17th, 2007 at 6:11 amOn the low number of hate crimes prosecuted by the Bush league Justice Dept., just think if it were being done by a Dem administration. The Wurlitzer would be going crazy. As it is this will be old news tomorrow.
November 17th, 2007 at 7:51 amAbby,
Clearly you don't understand the legal notion of a hate crime. First, the act commited must be illegal under our laws, regardless of the victim or intent. Second, it must be categorized as a type of crime to which the hate-crime statute is to be applied. Typically this means violent crimes against a person: assault, murder, etc. Only then can a hate-crime statute be applied. To apply the statute would require showing that the victim belonged to a protected class (e.g. racial minority, gay) and demonstrating that hate against that class was the motive for the crime. Your notion that merely hating something will be outlawed has no legal connection whatsoever to the purpose or design of hate-crime laws.
November 17th, 2007 at 9:24 amdid jesus teach you to talk like that?
November 17th, 2007 at 10:27 amsuch a fraud you are...
There goes a true racist (Daryll). I grew up in the 50's and 60's. I got to see first hand how blacks were treated in the North. Pay disparity, lack of opportunity and just plain prejudice. The South was worse with legally segregated in schools, public accommodation, anti-miscegenation laws, the KKK and (my favorite) nooses to intimidate. One would naturally think that it would take a several generations to overcome the disabilities in education, social connection and racism. Daryll's attitude just proves the problem.
November 17th, 2007 at 12:29 pmDaryll, it is clear that you are uneducated abou the causes of poverty and crime. Lack of education, lack of job oppurtunity, and an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. I take it that you don't have much interaction with black people.
November 17th, 2007 at 3:18 pmBubble-eyed Jesse Jackson, Fat Al Sharpton and the Black Caucus strike again. They are true opportunists. Stop worrying about hate crimes, and spread the message that blacks need to be responsible and accountable for their actions. This is the reason why there is a financial and social gap between blacks and whites.
Comment by Daryll — November 17, 2007 @ 9:39 am
Ah, the SO CALLED BLACK MAN that hates Blacks (Daryll) is back spreading his racism. If you really are black daryll, you're pathetic! To actually blame blacks for ALL of the racism against them is a true act of self loathing racism! You're sick, boy, JUST SICK!
November 17th, 2007 at 3:38 pmI think "hate crime" is a bad idea. its like "terrorism" "hate" its subject to spin. its open to interpretation. It just creates more divide. I love seeing people marching and demanding more rights I'm just sick of reverse racism. Fight fire with water.
I believe in drawing a line. but where you draw that line is what generates that measures success. Do you really believe we can eliminate "Hate"... Hate?.. Well generate more love god damn it.
November 18th, 2007 at 5:18 pm