Hate Crimes
Hate Crimes
What is the problem?
In an average year, over 10,300 hate crimes in the United States involve a firearm—more than 28 each day. Easy access to guns gives a single, hate-filled individual the means to shatter numerous lives and whole communities.
The vast majority of hate crimes are directed against people of color, religious minorities, and LGBTQ people. Among reported hate crimes, racially motivated crime is the most common. Nearly half of race-based hate crimes target Black people. While the number of hate crimes involving religious bias has decreased over the last year, Americans continue to be targeted on the basis of their faith. In 2018, nearly 60% of such crimes targeted Jewish people and Jewish institutions. One in five hate crimes targets LGBTQ people.
What are the solutions?
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Disarm Hate
Guns and hate are a fatal combination. In an average year, more than 10,300 hate crimes in the United States involve a firearm—more than 28 each day. In most of the US, some people convicted of hate crimes can still legally buy and have guns. Congress and state legislatures should pass laws that keep guns out of the hands of those who have been convicted of hate crimes.
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Extreme Risk Laws
When a person is in crisis and considering harming themselves or others, family members and law enforcement are often the first people to see the warning signs. Extreme Risk laws, sometimes referred to as “Red Flag” laws, allow loved ones or law enforcement to intervene by petitioning a court for an order to temporarily prevent someone in crisis from accessing guns.
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Prohibit Open Carry
Carrying firearms visibly in public, known as open carry, is a dangerous policy. It is exploited by white supremacists and opposed by law enforcement and the public. Members of hate groups regularly openly carry guns in a show of intimidation.
Featured Resources
Armed and Dangerous: How the Gun Lobby Enshrines Guns as Tools of the Extreme Right
For decades, the gun lobby has enabled extremists to access guns through its opposition of common sense gun laws.
Remembering and Honoring Pulse: Anti-LGBTQ Bias and Guns are Taking Lives of Countless LGBTQ People
On June 12, 2016, a man fatally shot 49 people and wounded 58 more at Pulse, an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, FL.
Disarm Hate: the Deadly Intersection of Guns and Hate Crimes
Armed and hateful Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 2018 On October 27, 2018, a gunman entered Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue armed with an AR-15 and three handguns.
All Resources
Hate Crimes
All Resources
Armed COVID-19 Protests Exploit Open Carry Loophole
Lawmakers should close the open carry loophole and regulate open carry, particularly at demonstrations held on capitol grounds.
Fact Sheet
A Nation of Survivors: The Toll of Gun Violence in America
In a recent national poll, 58% of adult respondents said they or someone they care for have experienced gun violence in their lifetime.
Report