CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. — Charleston County Council will meet Tuesday night to discuss a resolution that calls for the state General Assembly to consider passing hate crime legislation. The resolution, which is a follow-up to a similar measure passed in 2019, aims to address acts of violence motivated by prejudice.
A Renewed Call for Action
The 2019 resolution urged the South Carolina General Assembly to consider enacting laws that would impose stricter penalties for crimes motivated by hatred or bias. The 2023 discussion will focus on continuing that advocacy, with the hope of encouraging state lawmakers to take action on the issue.
FBI Hate Crime Statistics
The resolution draws attention to alarming data from the FBI regarding the prevalence of hate crimes in the U.S. The most recent statistics show the following breakdown of hate crimes over the past five years:
57.94% of hate crimes were related to race.
19.12% were related to religion.
21.31% were motivated by issues related to sexual orientation or gender identity.
1.63% were related to disability.
This data underscores the urgency of addressing hate-motivated violence and ensuring that acts of bigotry are met with adequate legal consequences.
The Discussion Ahead
During the meeting, Charleston County Council will discuss the importance of hate crime legislation at the state level and potentially vote on the resolution. If approved, it will once again call on the South Carolina General Assembly to introduce and pass legislation that specifically addresses crimes motivated by hatred or prejudice.
