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REGULAR MEETING January 14, 2019
<br /> group of children and we need this bill so that no one is afraid of being judged for who they are,
<br /> what they look like, or what they believe. This bill is important,not just for people like me,but for
<br /> every child and every adult that has ever felt different. This bill will allow me to renew my belief
<br /> in America and continue teaching to my children and my students about the America of freedom,
<br /> acceptance and diversity. Let's make South Bend a beacon of hope for our families and a model
<br /> for the rest of the State and country to follow.
<br /> John Pinter, 1224 Sunnymede Avenue, South Bend, IN, stated, Thank you, members of the
<br /> Common Council for the opportunity to briefly speak and add the support of the United Religious
<br /> Community (URC) to your resolution in favor of the state's bias crimes act. The URC as an
<br /> interfaith organization, not a religion, is admittedly cautious in engaging in legislative politics.
<br /> There are numerous proposals for laws and acts that, if we opted to be in favor of or against them,
<br /> would create such potential disagreement within our many different active traditions and we might
<br /> cease to be `united.' That said, all the major faith traditions, those with millions of members and
<br /> their many counterparts with fewer adherents,find commonality in issues like:being united against
<br /> poverty and violence, and agreement in finding welcome for the stranger. From that commonality,
<br /> the URC board unanimously decided to actively support bias or hate crimes legislation. Opposition
<br /> to it comes mostly from one (1) of two (2) things. One (1) is the debunked notion that hate crime
<br /> legislation regulates thought or speech. I won't spend time on that, as it's readily disproven. But
<br /> religious leaders would be overtly opposed to any such restrictions as they and their members
<br /> express their own constitutionally protected beliefs. The other kind of opposition flows from fear,
<br /> the fear that specifically naming a group implies something more. If we have specific types of
<br /> people identified as having protection, might that mean either that only they are protected or have
<br /> special right? Not all people are ready to accept all other types of folks. But that is not the purpose
<br /> of this law. In fact, any of our backgrounds can cause us to be targets of hate crimes, for the fact
<br /> that we are or are not a part of a group such as a religious background or a non-believer, a political
<br /> group,or an ethnic or racial group, among the many combinations of identities that we may choose
<br /> or have no say over. Every person in this room has the opportunity to be the victim of a hate crime,
<br /> but history shows that particular groups are far more likely to be affected, and since so many of
<br /> these are immigrants, ethnic and religious minorities that URC works with causes our solidarity
<br /> with members of the LGBTQ and business communities and so many others in supporting your
<br /> council's opportunity to support this state legislation. Firebombing a person's home is
<br /> unquestionably a crime. Firebombing a minister's home because you want to send a message to
<br /> their movement, as happened to Dr. King, is a hate crime. If we change the kinds of underlying
<br /> crimes, make it defacing a temple, or shooting at a refugee's house, or beating up a gay pride
<br /> marcher, we still have criminality caused by an illegal expression of hatred, and the greater
<br /> community of good rises up to support those directly affected but as important to learn about the
<br /> underlying prejudice. That community needs to be supported by a bias law to help it demonstrate
<br /> that hate has no home in our state. It is the right thing to do, it is also the smart thing to do, and it
<br /> is way overdue. Thank you.
<br /> Marguerite Taylor, 714 East Corby Boulevard, South Bend, IN, stated, I'm sorry, I couldn't help
<br /> myself. I don't want to preach to the choir. I knew Jodie Henderson and he was actually beaten to
<br /> death in my neighborhood and I know his parents. I just want to thank you for considering and for
<br /> passing this legislation. Indiana should be ashamed of itself It really should, for not having a hate
<br /> law.
<br /> Zachary Gillis, 1522 East Mishawaka Avenue, South Bend, IN, I am a member of the Board of
<br /> Directors for the LGBTQ Center. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Council for
<br /> holding this meeting and giving us the opportunity to share a little bit on how we want to remedy
<br /> this vital societal issue. As representatives from The LGBTQ Center, we want to extend our
<br /> gratitude to the South Bend Common Council for this resolution calling for the enactment of
<br /> legislation addressing hate crimes in the State of Indiana. At the LGBTQ Center, we stand by our
<br /> promise that all are welcome to attend our events, visit our Center, enjoy our programming, and
<br /> take part in pride. Part of the reason we have been able to thrive is because South Bend and St.
<br /> Joseph County have passed and enforce comprehensive human rights protections for our
<br /> community. The South Bend Human Rights Commission extends protections against
<br /> discrimination in employment, fair housing,public accommodations,and education to the LGBTQ
<br /> community by including sexual orientation or gender identity as protected classes. The City
<br /> understands the need to protect our rights and that is why we are proud to call South Bend our
<br /> home. But not everywhere in Indiana is as affirming to the LGBTQ community as South Bend and
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