Hate Crimes

According to Washington D.C. Statistics released in November 2007 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that 7,722 criminal incidents involving 9,080 offenses were reported in 2006 as a result of bias against a particular race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity/national origin, or physical or mental disability. Published by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Hate Crime Statistics, 2006, includes data from hate crime reports submitted by law enforcement agencies throughout the Nation.

Hate Crime Statistics, 2006, includes the following information:

Analysis of the 7,720 single-bias incidents by bias motivation showed that 51.8 percent were motivated by a racial bias, 18.9 percent were motivated by a religious bias, 15.5 percent were triggered by a sexual-orientation bias, and 12.7 percent of the incidents were motivated by an ethnicity/national origin bias. One percent involved bias against a disability.

There were 5,449 hate crime offenses classified as crimes against persons in 2006. Intimidations accounted for 46.0 percent, simple assaults for 31.9 percent, and aggravated assaults for 21.6 percent. Three murder and nonnegligent manslaughter offenses, as well as 6 forcible rapes, were reported as hate crimes.

Of the 3,593 hate crime offenses classified as crimes against property, the majority (81.0 percent) were acts of damage/destruction/vandalism. The remaining 19.0 percent of crimes against property consisted of robbery, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, and other crimes.

According to data for the 7,330 known offenders reported in 2006, 58.6 percent were white, and 20.6 percent were black. The race was unknown for 12.9 percent, and other races accounted for the remaining known offenders.

The majority (31.0 percent) of hate crime incidents in 2006 occurred in or near residences or homes; followed by 18.0 percent on highways, roads, alleys, or streets; 12.2 percent at colleges or schools; 6.1 percent in parking lots or garages; and 3.9 percent at churches, synagogues, or temples. The remaining 28.8 percent of hate crime incidents occurred at other specified locations, multiple locations, or other/unknown locations.

FBI reports more than 7,163 hate crimes in 2006

According to Washington D.C. statistics released in 2006 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 7,163 criminal incidents involving 8,380 offenses were reported in 2005 as a result of bias toward a particular race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity/national origin, or physical or mental disability. Hate Crime Statistics, 2005, published by the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, includes data from hate crime reports submitted by city, county, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies throughout the Nation.

Hate Crime Statistics, 2005, includes the following information:

An analysis of the 7,160 single-bias incidents by bias motivation revealed that 54.7 percent were motivated by a racial bias, 17.1 percent were triggered by a religious bias, 14.2 percent were motivated by a sexual-orientation bias, and 13.2 percent of the incidents were motivated by an ethnicity/national origin bias. Nearly 1 percent (0.7) involved bias against a disability.
There were 5,190 hate crime offenses classified as crimes against persons in 2005. Intimidations accounted for 48.9 percent, simple assaults for 30.2 percent, and aggravated assaults for 20.5 percent. Six murders as well as 3 forcible rapes were reported as hate crimes.
Of the 3,109 hate crime offenses classified as crimes against property, 53.6 percent were directed at individuals, 9.8 percent were against businesses or financial institutions, 8.9 percent were against government, and 6.8 percent were against religious organizations. The remaining 20.9 percent were directed at other, multiple, or unknown victim types. Damage/destruction/vandalism was the most frequently reported crime against property, accounting for 81.3 percent of the total.
Of the 6,804 known offenders reported in 2005, 60.5 percent were white, and 19.9 percent were black. The race was unknown for 12.3 percent, and other races accounted for the remaining known offenders.
The majority (30.0 percent) of hate crime incidents in 2005 occurred in or near residences or homes; followed by 18.3 percent on highways, roads, alleys, or streets; 13.5 percent at colleges or schools; 6.6 percent in parking lots or garages; and 4.3 percent at churches, synagogues, or temples. The remaining 27.3 percent of hate crime incidents occurred at other specified locations, multiple locations, or other/unknown locations.

United Church of Christ Advertisements

United Church of Christ advertisement censored (again) in the USA in 2007.

A new television ad by the United Church of Christ that stresses the church's diversity has already been rejected by major networks as "too controversial," the second time a UCC ad has been banned from the airwaves.

The 30-second "Ejector" ad features several people -- a black woman, a gay couple, a Middle Eastern man, an elderly man in a walker -- who are ejected from their church pews.

"God doesn't reject people," the ad says. "Neither do we."

The new ad, which cost about $1.5 million to make, will debut on April 3, but not on ABC, NBC, CBS or Fox. The three networks rejected the commercial as an inappropriate "advocacy" ad because of its references to homosexuality, race and ethnicity.

Here we go again -- it was around this time last year that the UCC got in trouble for its "Bouncer" advertisement.

It's interesting that sex, consumerism, and cultural bias can be used ALL the time in commercials ... but when a commercial promotes an inclusive atmosphere in a church -- now that's something that is worthy of censorship.

The advertisements were designed to help visible minorities, gay people and other people who feel excluded or unwelcome in some churches feel welcome in United Church of Christ congregations.

Many churches do not welcome gay people. They harshly condemn gay people and exclude them from communion, the rights of membership and from leadership.

Some of the more open and accepting churches will allow gay people to have all of the rights and responsibilites of membership, including the ability to be in leadership positions, as long as they remain celibate. The most open and accepting churches will accept gay people and allow openly gay people to hold leadership roles.

While gay people within the most accepting denominations may feel welcome and accepted, gay people outside the accepting congregations may not know they are welcome.

Contrast these approaches with the bold approach by the United Church of Christ. The United Church of Christ is targeting advertising for gay people and other people who feel excluded from churches. Being targeted by advertisements may seem foreign and offensive to spiritual people. Companies target advertisements to those they feel could be valuable customers.

United Church of Christ advertisements carry the subtle message that gay people are valuable to them, are valuable to the church of Jesus Christ and are valuable to society. December 1, 2004, the United Church of Christ started airing television commercials designed to help all people feel welcome in the United Church of Christ.

The commercials show visible minorities and what appears to be gay people refused entry to church by two muscular men, who look like the church equivalent of bar bouncers. The commercials are part of the Still Speaking initiative of the United Churches of Christ.

We believe the United Church of Christ's bold move will help gay people feel like valued members of society and the church. Their move may also help break down the walls between gay and straight people, a move which shows promise at reducing homophobia.

Stop Hate 2000 applauds the United Church of Christ. "We cannot imagine a church doing anything more Christ like than openly inviting all excluded peoples, including gay people, to church. The spirit of Christ appears to be alive in the United Church of Christ. Gay people looking for an open and affirming United Church of Christ congregation can search the United Church of Christ web site."