New Giffords Hate Crime Report Details Policy Solutions to Address Armed Hate
MARCH 15, 2021
Washington, DC — Giffords has released a new report, How America’s Gun Laws Fuel Armed Hate, detailing the alarming impact of hate-motivated gun violence across the nation. The report outlines the tragic scope and recent surge in violent hate crimes, which includes 10,000 people victimized by hate crimes involving guns each year, and the weak gun laws that contribute to this problem.
This report contains the most comprehensive 50-state analysis to date detailing access to guns by violent hate crime offenders: this analysis shows how state laws in 28 states allow people convicted of violently injuring someone in a hate crime to purchase guns, including assault weapons. It also details policy solutions to reverse this deadly trend, namely: passing universal background checks, thoroughly regulating access to military-style weapons and large-capacity magazines, and passing extreme risk protection order, public carry, and “disarm hate” laws.
“Violent hate poses a growing threat to the safety of everyone in the US,” said Ariel Lowrey, Legal Program Manager. “This is the direct result of weak gun laws. In most of the nation, people with significant histories of hate-motivated violence can legally purchase weapons. The consequences of this loophole are severe. From armed intimidation at peaceful protests to white supremacist groups storming the US Capitol, we know that easy access to firearms and emboldened, hate-fueled individuals are a deadly combination. Lawmakers at the state and federal levels must take action to disarm hate and protect all communities from violence.”
Hate crimes are tragically common in the United States. In recent years, they have become both more common and more violent. Hate crimes reported to the FBI were generally on the decline between 1996 and 2014, a trend that seems to have reversed itself beginning in 2015, rising from 5,479 incidents reported in 2014 to a high of 7,314 in 2019. In 2019, police departments reported more than 19 hate crimes per day, on average.
Recent hate-motivated mass shootings in the United States include massacres targeting the Latinx community in El Paso; the LGBT community at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando; the Jewish community in Jersey City, Poway, and Pittsburgh; and Black worshipers at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. America must do more to protect against this violence and limit access to deadly weapons from people who perpetrate violent hate.
On January 6, 2021, a national spotlight was shone on the danger posed by extremist groups. Of the seven people arrested for firearm violations in connection to the Capitol riots, three were particularly alarming in the context of armed hate. The insurrection at the Capitol may serve as a wakeup call, given that several people with ties to the military were arrested for their participation in the attack.
Last week, the House of Representatives took crucial steps in addressing gun violence by passing H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. This lifesaving legislation will require universal background checks at the federal level, making it more difficult for people convicted of hate crime felonies to acquire guns. The Enhanced Backgrounds Check Act, which would provide the FBI with more time to complete background checks, was also passed last week. Unfortunately, under current law, many people with significant histories of hate crime violence would still pass a background check. That must change.
Legislation like the Disarm Hate Act and the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act would help ensure that people who perpetrate violent hate cannot pass background checks to access guns. Far more must be done not only within government but also within our communities to address the root causes of hate—gun violence prevention measures are a necessary part of the solution.