Increasing Hate Crime Awareness in the US Essay Example for Free

Increasing Hate Crime Awareness in the US EssayThough latest report released last October 2006 by the US Department of Justice FBIs Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program showed a decrease in total number of reported incidents, 7,163 in 2005 vs. 7,649 in 2004 (Hate Crime Statistics 2005), there has been an inversely growing awareness on this topic among various stakeholders legislators, law enforcement officials, and the American public such that term dislike crime has become a part of everyday vernacular among Americans.Three factors contributed to this growing awareness. Firstly, the organizational initiatives, normally the offended party group in launch to protect their civil rights, are taking active roles, through their advocacy campaigns, support services and education programs. Prominent proponents, among others, are American Civil Liberties trade union (ACLU) for all Americans, Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for the Jewish, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PF LAG), Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD), La Alianza Hispana for the Latin-Hispanics and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for African-American group. Secondly, the Federal regimen on its part, through the DAs Office has a Civil Rights Unit composed of attorneys for education and intervention services, working in cooperation with victim-witness advocates.In addition, governors Task Force on Hate Crime has its Stop the Hate Website Campaign promoting awareness of abominate crimes and providing resources for responding to and preventing such acts. Thirdly, concerned group initiatives, such as NGOs in the likes of Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) that combats hate, intolerance and discrimination through education programs and litigations, play an independent, third-party role in increasing hate crime awareness.