President Obama Signs Hate Crimes Prevention Act Into Law

Today President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law, legislation that will extend new federal protections to people who are victims of violent crime because of their gender, sexual orientation or identity, or disability.

DNC Chairman Tim Kaine issued a statement after President Obama signed the bill into law:

“Today, President Obama signed into law legislation that was first championed by the late Senator Ted Kennedy and has been more than a decade in the making.

“The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act will help state and local officials prosecute hate crimes by providing them with additional tools and resources. President Obama and his Administration are committed to equal rights and fairness for women, LGBT Americans, persons with disabilities -- indeed, all Americans.

"There is still much work ahead, but today, 11 years after the tragic deaths of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., President Obama has delivered on his promise to sign an inclusive hate crimes bill into law.”

Comments (1) «

Mr. President, I know why you signed this bill into law and it was done with the best of intentions. Hate crimes such as these are a blight on American society.

But a murder is a murder is a murder. No person's life is more or less valuable than another and no particular group of citizens should have crimes against them punished with any more or less incarceration than another. Justice is blind, Mr. President, and it should remain that way.

1

BobVADemocratHawk on October 28, 2009 at 07:01 PM

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