It required the U.S. Sentencing Commission to issue guidelines on sentencing enhancements for hate crimes based on race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability or sexual orientation. That same year, Congress enacted legislation dealing with the increasing problem of violent crime against women. The Violence Against Women Act codified the principle that all persons in the United States have the right to be free from crimes of violence motivated by gender. In 1996, in a welcome example of bipartisanship, both the House and the Senate unanimously approved the Church Arson Prevention Act, to facilitate federal investigations and prosecutions of such offenses. In all of these cases, the federal laws are intended to protect individuals from violations of their basic rights, and to carry out the nation's larger responsibility to prevent discrimination against any of our fellow citizens.
Hate crimes are modern-day lynchings that afflict communities throughout the nation.
Again and again, lives have been shattered by the violence of hate. The most brutal and shocking hate crimes make national headlines. But thousands of other such crimes occur across America every year. Constant vigilance is essential. According to a study by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the number of hate groups has increased in recent years.