Mussman: Let’s Work Together to End Hate

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Following the deadly domestic terrorist attack in Charlottesville, VA, state Rep. Michelle Mussman, D-Schaumburg, sponsored legislation condemning hate groups.

“The fact that the country witnessed a violent and racially divisive gathering reminiscent of the race riots in the sixties should serve as a reminder that we need to have serious discussions about race in America,” Mussman said. “We need to confront hate and bigotry head on, otherwise these acts of terror will only continue. I am also disappointed by the response from our president, who denied calling the alt-right protesters domestic terrorists.”

Mussman was a co-sponsor of House Resolution 569, which condemns white supremacists, neo-Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan and other groups that espouse hate. It also mourns the death of Heather Heyer, who was killed when a white supremacist drove his car into a group of people protesting against hate, and the deaths of Virginia state troopers Lt. H. Jay Cullen and Trooper Berke M. M. Bates, whose helicopter crashed in the area after responding to the protests.

In her efforts to combat acts of hatred and violence, Mussman also supported and passed House Bill 2390, which extends hate crime protections for the exterior and grounds of religious buildings. Individuals convicted of committing hate crimes must attend in-person educational classes to discourage such crimes, as well as perform community service.

“These past hateful sentiments cannot be ignored or tolerated,” Mussman said. “The horrific events in Charlottesville serve as yet another example of why we must stand together against violence, hate and intolerance and unite to address these crippling issues.”