From: Cara Bywater
Columbus
The Open and Affirming Committee at First Presbyterian Church was disappointed that in January, for the third year running, the Indiana Senate has failed to bring hate crime legislation for a vote. Indiana remains as one of only five states in the United States of America where there is no state hate crimes law, despite a recent poll showing that almost two-thirds of Hoosiers favor hate crime legislation. Meanwhile, the Southern Poverty Law Center ranks Indiana as the 13th state with the most active hate groups.
Hate crime laws are intended to prosecute and protect against criminal acts committed against a person or property that are motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against the victim’s race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or disability.
Hate crime legislation is needed as these criminal acts often involve a higher degree of violence, and because whenever a bias-motivated crime is committed, often the victim’s entire community is left feeling victimized, vulnerable and fearful. Such crimes can also lead to reprisals and a dangerous spiral of escalating intergroup tension and violence. Thus, the impact of hate crimes is far greater than the already terrible impact on the individual.
According to FBI data, on average at least once per week Hoosiers are targeted for violence or vandalism because of who they are, where they are from and/or what they believe. Columbus is fortunate to have a human rights commission and police department that are members of the Indiana Hate Crimes Reporting Network. Hate crimes can be reported to both organizations, and both have resources to support victims. However, this does not reduce the need for state hate-crime legislation, which would allow charges to be brought against people committing bias-based crimes, enable collection of accurate data about hate crimes and ensure local law enforcement has resources to deal with and work on prevention of hate crimes.
We urge people to write to their legislators asking why Indiana does not have a hate crimes law and urging them to move this forward. With mid-term elections approaching, people should ask their candidates where they stand on hate crime laws. It is important we come together as a community to reduce hate and promote love and acceptance.
