More than 100 Organizations Request Senate Hearing on Hate Crimes in the United States

A large and diverse coalition of organizations, including the Open Society Foundations, sent a letter to Senators Patrick Leahy and Charles Grassley, Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee respectively, asking them to hold hearings on the recent spike in hate crimes and the proliferation of hate groups in the United States. The letter urges that the hearings focus on the implementation of anti-hate crimes laws and the need for improvements to hate crimes reporting, data collection, and prevention, consistent with individuals’ First Amendment rights and civil liberties. 

The letter follows an August 9, 2012 statement on the tragic shooting at the Oak Creek Sikh temple calling for elected leaders, and civic, faith-based, and educational institutions to stand in support of the Sikh community and the values that bind us as Americans.