U.S. Attorney General Speaks On Hate Crimes

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder addressed the Anti-Defamation League's 2009 American Heritage Dinner in Las Vegas Saturday night. His address (full text) focused primarily on hate crimes, including anti-Semitism which is one of the ADL's primary concerns. Holder hailed the fact that expanded hate crimes legislation is about to pass in Congress. (See prior posting.) He said that "on the day that it becomes law, we will hasten to begin using it." Then focusing on problems being faced by Muslim-Americans, he said:

Crimes against Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim have escalated dramatically since September 11th. Some hate-mongers seem to have adopted the twisted logic that an attack on innocents can somehow be avenged by another attack on innocents.... I have heard from Muslim Americans who feel uneasy about their relationship with our government, who feel isolated and discriminated against by law enforcement. They report feeling denied the full rights of citizenship and also, just as importantly, the full responsibilities of citizenship.

I realize that we can become emotionally overwhelmed by acts of terror committed in the name of Islam. We can, perhaps, fail to see that virtually all Muslim Americans are, just like us, trying to do what all Americans wish to do - lead fulfilling, honorable lives, raise their children, love their families, support their communities, and serve their country. The tension that arises among citizens of different faiths, and between government and citizens of a particular faith, is unacceptable to me. It is inconsistent with what America is all about.