NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — With the angry emotions and carnage flowing out of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the U.S Justice Department is keeping a close watch on hate crimes.
Here in Nashville, the U.S. attorney has three full-time lawyers working on nothing but civil rights.
Very few people think of the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S attorney as a local agency, but the U.S. attorney here in Nashville wants you to know they are a local agency, and they are looking out for you.
For Nashville District U.S. Attorney Henry Leventis, it is important to protect both sides of the issue.
“Well, we certainly recognize that this situation between Israel and Hamas increases the risk of hate-based violence for all of our religious communities, but especially our Jewish communities and our Muslim communities,” said Leventis.
Enter ‘United Against Hate.’ This gets the U.S attorney’s office out of the courtroom and into the communities.
On this night, it’s the Jewish Community Center, where civil rights attorney Jae Lim and others explain how and when to report a hate crime. Next stop, the American Muslim Advisory Committee, all with the same message.
“I think people are often confused about what constitutes really ugly speech versus what violates a federal criminal statute and so part of our initiative with United Against Hate is to get out in the community and talk about those things where is the line between being an ugly intolerant person and violating the law?” said Leventis.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has its hands full with the fentanyl crisis, violent crime and white collar crime, but it is an agency that’s origins go back to civil rights, and it will never forget that.
“Too often in the criminal justice system, we’re cleaning up messes in society where a problem is brought to our attention, we investigate and prosecute, but the victims have still been victimized, the communities have still been affected,” said Leventis. “This is a proactive approach to get out in the world, encourage reporting and also build relationships of trust.”
One of the big mistakes people make is they don’t report. They think ‘well that was mean and nasty and ugly but its not a crime.’ The U.S attorney’s office wants to take the call, can’t hurt to get it on the record.
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