I just read that yesterday a hate crimes bill was inserted as an amendment into another bill and passed the House of Representatives. It's really a historic event, since similar bills failed to pass legislative session after legislative session.
Many crimes are committed every year (7,489 in 2003 alone,) "motivated by an offender’s irrational antagonism toward some personal attribute associated with the victim. Reporting by law enforcement is voluntary and it is widely believed that hate crimes are seriously under-reported."
It is really important that authorities be able to prosecute these crimes for what they really are, expressions of hate "against the victim’s perceived sexual orientation, gender, disability or gender identity."
The bill now needs to be approved by the Senate, and then will meet its biggest enemy: Mr. Bush. The president has so far never vetoed a bill passed by his Congress. Will this be the one that forces him to bring out "the pen"?
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