Last Thursday, April 12th, I attended a Senate press conference held by Senators Ted Kennedy and Gordon Smith on the introduction of S. 1145, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The companion legislation in the House of Representatives, H.R. 1592, was also introduced recently. Both senators spoke of their commitments to enacting this legislation, and of the many cosponsors and other supporters already committed to the bill. Sen. Smith also announced a proposal to rename the legislation the “Matthew Shepard Bill,” in honor of Matthew Shepard and in recognition of Dennis and Judy Shepard, Matthew’s parents, for their commitment to enacting hate crimes legislation in America.

Hate crimes legislation is a vital step in ending discriminatory violence in America. Intellectual hatred all too quickly turns to action when left unchecked, and those who are victims of this hatred have little categorical defense against this violence without such legislation. We, as Jews, are all too familiar with persecution, and for that alone we must fight such hatred, but we must also fight for the physically and mentally challenged, for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community, for all those targeted for their country of origin and race, those targeted for gender, and for all those who suffer due to categorical hatred. Write to your local congresspeople to support hate crimes legislation, and help us fight categorical, hate-based violence.