The problem with hate crimes is that people don't want to talk about them. FBI crime statistics and Gallup polls don't lie; these numbers show that increasing hate crimes are occurring in our country, and that fair-minded people of our democratic country favour laws being based at the federal level.

Gallup polls show that a substantial majority of the American public favour the expansion of federal hate crime legislation to include crimes against people based on their gender, sexual orientation and gender identity; 68 per cent in favour, 27 per cent oppose and 5 per cent, no opinion.

New law

Now that President Obama has signed the Defense Bill that includes the hate crime measure into law that was named for Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming teenager who died after being kidnapped, robbed and severely beaten in October 1998, and James Byrd Jr, an African-American man dragged to his death in Texas the same year.

Protect our citizens

Worried about losing your freedom of speech? Worry only if you or someone who hears your hateful rhetoric acts on it.

President Obama was quoted saying during the signing, "help protect our citizens from violence based on what they look like, who they love, how they pray."

Amen!

I am, etc.,

Anthony J. Commarata

acommarata@gmail.com

USA