by Arjun Singh Sethi

December 15, 2016

 

Hate is now a part of daily life for many Americans.

In the first 48 hours following the election, the Southern Poverty Law Center documented more than 200 incidents of hateful harassment, intimidation and assault.
Since then, violence has proliferated. In suburban Pittsburgh, an Indian-American man was hospitalized for facial cuts and swelling after being insulted and assaulted. A Muslim police officer and her teenage son were reportedly threatened in New York City. Houses of worship, schools and even libraries have been vandalized.
But although hate violence is intensifying, the government hasn’t figured out how to document its insidious reach.
That’s because reporting of hate crimes is voluntary, not mandatory. Under the current system, the FBI merely encourages local law enforcement to report hate crimes to a national database. There is no penalty for failing to report. This creates gaps in reporting, which significantly undermines the ability of law enforcement, civil society and affected communities to effectively curb hate violence.
Full article:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/15/opinions/post-trump-hate-crime-wave-sethi/