Richard Gephardt: “I admire the work that she has done consistently over a long period of time to try to get hate crimes legislation passed…”

“I admire the work that she has done consistently over a long period of time to try to get hate crimes legislation passed here in the House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, last year we came very close to making this bill the law of the land. Bipartisan majorities supported it in both Houses of Congress. We argued that the country needed to take a strong stand against brutal crimes committed against people because of who they are. We said attacks on Americans because of race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender or disability were attacks not just on individuals but assaults against all Americans. We argued that law enforcement agents at all levels should have better tools and resources to find those responsible for these crimes and to see that they were brought to justice. We had heard too many stories of people beaten and brutalized and murdered because of who they were. Matthew Shepherd was tied to a post and left to die by two men because he was gay. James Byrd, Jr. was tied to a truck and dragged through the streets and killed because he was black. Ricky Brydsong was shot dead on the streets of Chicago because he was an African American.”