Illinois residents, click here to E-mail Sens. Burris & Durbin (sponsor of this bill)
-- From "Obama urges passage as Kennedy introduces hate crimes bill in Senate" by Chris Johnson, [pro-homosexual] Washington Blade 4/28/09
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) introduced . . . The new Senate bill, called the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act, is named after a gay college student who was murdered near Laramie, Wyo. [in a 1998 robbery, often erroneously reported as resulting from his "sexual orientation"].
President Obama issued a statement in support of the bill late Tuesday.
". . . I urge members on both sides of the aisle to act on this important civil rights issue by passing this legislation to protect all of our citizens from violent acts of intolerance – legislation that will enhance civil rights protections, while also protecting our freedom of speech and association. I also urge the Senate to work with my Administration to finalize this bill and to take swift action," he said.Hate crimes legislation would allow the Justice Department to assist in the prosecution of hate crimes committed against LGBT people that result in death or serious injury. The federal government could lend its assistance to local authorities or take the lead if local officials are unwilling or unable to prosecute cases.
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