Trump Administration Pushed to Speak Out Against Hate Crimes
BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- The new administration is being pushed to comment after a white man from Baltimore admitted to killing another man because he was black in New York.
A civil rights group sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney General saying more reports of hate crimes is directly correlated to the Trump Administration because of the divisive language used on the campaign trail.
James Jackson has been charged with murder as an act of terrorism. Police say his intent was killing black men and last week Timothy Caughman became a victim when Jackson stabbed the 66 year old death.
The revelation drew outrage. The NAACP legal defense and educational fund sent a letter to the attorney general demanding a public condemnation of hate crimes.
"Our communities have real concerns about whether there is a network of individuals who are reading the same things and encouraging one another and copy-catting one another and in order to protect our communities we think it's important that the department of justice takes this as seriously as any other crime of domestic terrorism that the fully investigate any connections Mr. Jackson may have," said Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
The army vet lived in Hampden and within hours of his arrest, agents from New York were in Baltimore, continuing with the investigation.
Other investigations are also unfolding near Seattle, a suspect shot a man who was wearing a turban. The victim's family says it was a hate crime.
Last month in Kansas, an Indian man was shot and killed. Witnesses say the suspect told him to "get out of my country".
In Missouri, Vice President Mike Pence helped to clean-up a Jewish cemetery after hundreds of head stones were vandalized. The VP said there's no place for hate.
A messaged echoed by the White House just this week.
"There is one issue that despite policy should unite us and that is calling out hate, calling out divisiveness based on the color of one's skin, one's religion and one's gender. The president has been very clear on that and he's called it out before," said White Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
After Jackson confessed that he targeted African-American men, every day Americans expressed concern.
"There is no place for that in this country and the attorney general should be responsible to tell the american public that this is wrong," Brad Kolodner said.
In a jail house interview, Jackson revealed he'd hoped his actions would stop interracial dating between black men and white women.
Police say Jackson turned himself in to police. They say he'd been harboring hateful thoughts toward black men for years.
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