Category: Public policy
Posted by McKinzie Brantley on Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 6:09 AMHate crimes legislation adds protections for people with disabilities
On Wednesday, President Obama signed legislation that makes it a federal offense to commit a crime against someone based on his or her disability.
"After more than a decade of opposition and delay, we've passed inclusive hate crimes legislation to help protect our citizens from violence based on what they look like, who they love, how they pray, or who they are," the president said at the signing ceremony.
Earlier this month, a report by the U.S. Justice Department found that people with disabilities were 50 percent more likely to experience violent crime.
What's your reaction to this legislation? Have you been the victim of a crime? Will the new law protect people with disabilities?
Comments
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Hate Crimes
Even if the law doesn't end up having a huge impact in terms of protecting people with disabilities from violent crime, it's still hugely important to recognize that it is a population that is often targeted for violence.
The law is significant in terms of making Americans aware of the challenges -- many of them unnecessarily imposed by our culture -- faced by people with disabilities.
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