Resolves of the Executive Council

Resolved, That the Executive Council, meeting in Oklahoma City, November 2-6, 1998, commend the statements of the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies on the subject of hate crimes made in the wake of the murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay man and Episcopal layman, in Wyoming; and the Council further notes two other recent hate crimes, the heinous murder of an African American, James Byrd, in Texas, chained to the back of a pick up truck and dragged to his death; and the murder of Doctor Slepian, who was known in conscience to perform legal abortions as part of his medical practice, knowing that these crimes are but the tip of the iceberg of hate crimes committed everyday in the United States; and

Resolved, That the Council urge the U.S. Congress to enact legislation to expand the definition of hate crimes to include gender, sexual orientation or disability (in addition to color, race, religion or national origin) and expand the number of settings in which the law could be applied; and directs the Office of Government Relations to work for passage of such a bill; and

Resolved, That the Council call upon the whole Church to commit itself at every level to work for the eradication of hate crimes in America, being mindful that the answer to our Lord's question about "who was neighbor to the man who fell among thieves" is "the one who showed him mercy," and his command to go and do likewise.