FBI Stats are mixed bag on Hate Crimes

I was recently quoted in a number of places criticizing the FBI annual hate crime report. The numbers are grossly inaccurate and most of the media treats them as if they are highly sophisticated, professionally gathered statistics.

You can read more here

The Hate Crimes Statistics Act of 1990 requires that all local law enforcement agencies report hate crimes. Problem is that only half of all police agencies have a "bias" box on their police report. So immediately 50% of all police are not reporting. The other half have received little to no training on hate crimes, what makes them different and the importance of these statistics. Until these number mean something, like money for survivors or real societal education, the numbers will be flat and empty.

Great Quote from Mark Twain

I love this quote from Mark Twain about the Jewish community. It reminds me a great deal of the contributions of the GLBT Community.

"...If statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of stardust lost in the blaze of the Milky way. properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the world's list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also away out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvelous fight in this world, in all the ages; and had done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it.
The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed; and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other people have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?"
- Mark Twain("Concerning The Jews," Harper's Magazine, 1899, see The Complete Essays of Mark Twain, Doubleday [1963] pg. 249)

Three MI Republicans Vote for ENDA

Yesterday was the historic and controversial vote on ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act). Three Michigan Republican Congresspersons voted YES which was very surprising to me given their past record.
They were: Congressman Joe Knollenberg, Candice Miller, and Thaddeus McCotter.

McCotter and Miller have both been co-sponsors of the Federal Marriage Amendment and Knollenberg used to have a 0% voting record with the Human Rights Campaign.

I am pretty certain that Knollenberg's position on ENDA stems from his current Democratic Challenger Gary Peters, whom many people believe may defeat him next November. Peters is known for being progressive on GLBT issues.

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