Kathryn Szuszkowski

West Milford Twp. High School

67 Highlander Drive

West Milford, NJ 07480

November 3, 2016

Future President at the White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Future President:

Hello. My name is Kathryn Szuszkowski and I am a ninth grade student at West Milford Township Public High School. I am extremely concerned over the rate of hate crime that has happened in the last few years. The rate of crime over the past few years has decreased but the rate of hate crime over the past few years has increased. Hate crime has become extremely dangerous over the past few years. It seems like every day when the news comes on there is another massacre or shooting done as terrorism and hate. People have become so negative about others that they now have to hurt others who they do not like. Many are now scared to live their everyday lives because of constantly feeling targeted for the differences.

Hate crimes are the highest priority of the FBI’s Civil Rights program. As seen on Fbi. gov. The FBI had investigated hate crimes as far back as World War I. Hate crimes have then increased since the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Many innocent people have been injured due to hate crimes and it still continues no matter how awful it is. Some incidents include physical assault, damage to property, bullying, harassment, verbal abuse or insults, hate crime or offensive graffiti or letters (hate mail). Hate crimes are committed too often and several are hurt or killed.

Just like Hitler people are targeted for their race, ethnicity, and religious beliefs. People have begun to blame police for all of their problems when it comes to hate crimes but police aren't always the problem. Black lives matter, blue lives matter, and so do white lives. All lives matter. Not just one religion or race. The world does not revolve around peoples races or religions and some people have used their race as an excuse for people to mourn for them. They are not the only ones who are facing hate crimes. There are plenty of other people in the world not just them. People have become targeted based off of their age, race, disability, gender, religion, nationality, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

Many innocent lives have been taken due to hate crimes. All lives matter. The people in this cruel world need to start accepting people for who they are, rather than hurting those who are different from them. Judging and making fun of others differences is a daily part of life every day. No one is innocent. The only way this can be solved is by coming together as a group peacefully and addressing this issue to those in office.

Coming together peacefully with the same issue would fix the problems that are happening. People have many different perspectives on hate crimes. People have become extremely blind to the hate because of how much it occurs. Hate seems as though it is an everyday occurrence in life. Everyone has lost trust in one another and due to that people have targets pinned on their backs even those who are completely innocent. Not everyone is bad. There is good in this world, that many refuse to see. We are so used to the negatives in life that we have become negative. One person doing wrong should not affect those surrounded by them.

In this world we need to start accepting people for who they are. Race, religion, gender et cetera, is just a word. What really matters in someone is their heart not the way they look on the outside. The world is extremely unfair and what's worse is the fact that we hate people for being themselves. We don't give people the respect that they deserve. Everyone should be respected until you are given a reason to not show them respect. Respect is earned for those who deserve it. Hate crimes against individuals do more harm than just that person. As said by Martin Luther King Jr. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”