It’s no surprise that hate crimes are rising throughout the country. They are almost a daily, terrifying occurrence. Pennsylvania saw a sharp increase in 2021 — more than any other year since cases started being tracked — and almost as many as the previous three years combined. Worse, it’s likely an under-count.
We don’t need more mass shootings by white supremacists and assorted, revenge-filled haters to know we must do more.
Luckily PA state legislators have put together a bipartisan, four-bill package to combat this growing, deadly threat and bring PA into the modern era on the problem. It will put PA on better footing with the federal protections of targeted individuals or groups. But, anyone who isn’t in those categories should strongly support these measures because hate spreads. We are all at risk.
The package will provide civil penalties and injunctive relief against continued violators, it increases law enforcement training to investigate, identify and report crimes of ethnic intimidation, it will train educators and school administrators to identify and address hate incidents before they turn deadly, and it expands conditions of probation or parole to those convicted to include community service or educational classes. We need all those measures.
Introduced by Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, this timely and important package now has 26 cosponsors and should have unanimous support. But none are from Bucks County.
Where are our leaders on this? So far, MIA on hate crimes. We can only hope they aren’t waiting for a deadly incident.
Bucks County state legislators should be squarely on board and on record strongly supporting this package if they are serious about ending hate crimes and protecting Pennsylvanians.
Mimi Reimel, Middletown
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