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U.S. Senate to Hold Historic Hearing on Homeless Civil Rights Issue
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, has scheduled a hearing entitled “Crimes Against America’s Homeless: Is the Violence Growing?” The hearing is set for Wednesday, September 29, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The featured topic of the hearing will be the Hate Crimes Against the Homeless Statistics Act (S. 1765), legislation introduced by Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) that would direct the Federal Bureau of Investigation to gather data on bias-motivated crimes against people experiencing homelessness.
This hearing advances NCH’s legislative agenda significantly and is an important step forward on the path to Bring America Home. After some research, we believe this hearing to be the first held by the United States Congress that specifically and exclusively addresses a homeless civil rights issue. NCH was given the privilege and responsibility of recommending witnesses for the hearing.
NCH urges our members and supporters to be part of this historic hearing:.jpg)
Why you should support the Hate Crimes Against the Homeless Statistics Act of 2009:
Over the past eleven years, advocates and homeless shelter workers from around the country have received news reports of men, women and even children being harassed, kicked, set on fire, beaten to death, and even decapitated. Since 1999, the National Coalition for the Homeless has issued an annual report on hate crimes against the homeless. During this time, our network of advocates has tracked and 1,074 acts of violence committed by housed individuals, resulting in 291 deaths of homeless people and 783 victims of non-lethal violence in 47 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, DC.
This year’s report gained more national media attention than ever before. As crimes grow in both number and severity, NCH’s ability to accurately capture the true universe of offenses is challenged. From the beginning, NCH’s reporting sought to present simply examples of a much larger undefined national tragedy.
You should support the Hate Crimes Against the Homeless Statistics Act because it’s truly a thoughtful and measured first step towards better understanding crimes against the homeless. Your support may ensure the accurate and timely collection of crime statistics, gathered by law enforcement, and used to define a deadly problem that cries out for resolution and prohibition.
Elected officials understandably pay attention to issues that matter most to their constituents. Your support of this legislation would clearly and compassionately communicate to your senator and representatives that homeless people and their issues matter and deserve to be counted.
Watch this 60 Minutes video by the late Ed Bradley on the disturbing trend of violence against the homeless.
About the Hearing:
- To attend the hearing:
Individuals in the Washington, DC area are encouraged to attend this historic and public hearing.
Proceedings will begin at 10am, this Wednesday,
September 29, 2010.
The event is free and open to the
public.The hearing will be held
in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, located at Constitution Avenue and 1st Street,
NE, Washington, DC 20002, in room 226. The Dirksen Building is 4 blocks south
of the Union Station Metro (on the Red line). For more directions, see this map of the Senate buildings.
NCH will have a staff member at the First and C Street entrance (northwest
entrance closest to Union Station) starting at around 9am, to assist with
directions to room 226. Attendees are encouraged to arrive by 9:30am in
order to be seated before the hearing begins. The First and C Street
entrance is wheelchair accessible.
Anyone
can contact NCH at 202-462-4822 or info@nationalhomeless.org for more information or to tell us you'll be there!
- Watch the hearing live:
Individuals outside of Washington, DC can watch the hearing through a live webcast. The United States Senate website hosts live webcasts of Senate hearings, watch the webcast live on the Senate Judiciary Committee website. The webcast will also be archived for future viewing.
NCH will also be Tweeting live from the hearing! Follow what's happening on our Twitter page or in the Twitter feed box on our homepage.
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