mr. chairman , i move to strike the requisite number of words . 
mr. chairman , i rise in strong support of the hate crimes prevention amendment offered by the distinguished gentleman from michigan ( mr. conyers ) xz4000800 , the ranking member on the committee on the judiciary , and i thank him for his strong leadership on this subject . 
i disagree with the distinguished chairman of the committee . 
this is not a poison pill . 
this amendment does nothing to weaken the underlying bill . 
we all agree we must take strong measures to protect our children from sexual predators . 
as a mother of five and grandmother of five , i appreciate fully the underlying bill and intend to vote for it . 
this is , mr. chairman , another issue ; and it relates to hate crimes . 
this vehicle is one that gives congress the opportunity to go on record , and hopefully in the majority , to reject hate crimes in our country . 
hate crimes prevention is long overdue . 
hate crimes have no place in america . 
all americans have a fundamental right to feel safe in their communities . 
federal hate crimes prevention legislation is the right thing to do , and we must do it now . 
we have waited far too long . 
a year ago , a majority of this house voted to support including hate crimes prevention legislation in the department of defense authorization bill , on the heels of a strong vote in the senate . 
similarly , the house acted in september of 2000 . 
twice , the republican leadership defied the will of the majority of the house and stripped these essential provisions out in conference . 
today , we should not be denied . 
we will have a vote that counts . 
our nation was founded on the principle that all are created equal , all are entitled to the protections of the laws , and all are entitled to justice . 
it violates this principle to have individuals in our country targeted for violence because of who they are , the color of their skin , how they worship , and who they love . 
the perpetrators of violence intend to send a message to certain members of our community that they are not welcome . 
mr. chairman , this amendment is based on h.r. 2662 , the local enforcement hate crimes prevention act of 2005 , introduced by the gentleman from michigan ( mr. conyers ) xz4000800 , and joined by 142 members as cosponsors , of which i am proud to be one . 
it will help prevent violence visited upon individuals because of their race , sexual orientation , sexual identity , religion , national origin , gender , or disability . 
as the gentleman from michigan ( mr. conyers ) xz4000800 explained , these protections are necessary and must be enacted into law . 
who can ever forget the brutal murders of james byrd in texas , matthew shepard in wyoming , waqar hasan in texas , gwen araujo in california , and so many others who have died because of ignorance and intolerance . 
this legislation would increase the ability of local , state and federal law enforcement agencies to solve and prevent a wide range of violent hate crimes . 
mr. chairman , i call this very specifically to your attention and to that of our colleagues , that numerous law enforcement organizations , including the international association of chiefs of police support the need for federal hate crimes legislation . 
mr. chairman , as we deal with the aftermath of hurricane katrina , we must remember that we are one america , a nation that must be united not just in common purpose but in common effort and common community . 
we must work to end false distinctions among us . 
in the words of my good friend , the gentleman from georgia ( mr. lewis ) xz4002392 , who i consider to be the conscience of this house , we must strive towards our `` beloved community. '' `` we must move our resources to build and not to tear down , to reconcile and not to divide , to love and not to hate. '' let that be our call . 
let us live up to the ideals of equality and opportunity that are both our hope and our future . 
let us pass this amendment to secure justice for all . 
we must continue to vote for justice , for hope , and for freedom by ensuring that hate crimes prevention provisions are enacted into law . 
i urge my colleagues to vote for this important amendment . 
