John Conyers: “I am the author of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. We have 191 cosponsors. Today is the day that marks the senseless…”

“I am the author of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. We have 191 cosponsors. Today is the day that marks the senseless death, lynching of James Byrd, Jr. in Jasper, Texas, when he was dragged for miles over a country road, chained by the ankles to a pickup truck. His body was shredded and ripped in the 2-hour ordeal. Since the 2 years of his murder, the House has done nothing to address the nationwide outburst of hate violence. So my bill really should be taken up by the Committee on the Judiciary. We should stop the stalling. We know that the year of 1999 was called the summer of hate. Events of violence have occurred throughout the country. So we cannot, as a body, dismiss these atrocities as anonymous agents of lunatics. We need a hate crimes prevention law.”