20191220 The Intercept
To: submissions@theintercept.com
Subject: Hate Crimes Against Military Families is a Thing. There's an Act For That. (quick investigation)
Ten years after President Barack Obama signed the 2009 Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA) into law, many rights created by the bill remain unknown and unprotected. Section 4712 of the bill, dubbed “The Soldiers Amendment” by then-Senator Jeff Sessions and now codified in law as 18 USC § 1389, currently protects 4.8 million servicemembers and their dependents as well as an unknown number who are within five years of discharge. These rights mean nothing if the Department of Justice fails to enforce them, the Department of Defense fails to inform families of them, and the Commission on Civil Rights fails to hold these agencies accountable, all of which appear to be the case.
This article is timely because six members of the House of Representatives recently sent an open letter to the DoJ and FBI, and this story will help ensure Attorney General Barr and Director Christopher Wray respond. Furthermore, the US Commission on Civil Rights released a hate crimes report the week of Veterans Day that ignored the rights of military families, and this story would expose that oversight. As a quick investigative piece, an article like this would be of interest to military personnel as well as advocates for civil rights. If this article is picked up, working with The Intercept would help me secure interviews with the following individuals;
Jeff Sessions and congressional staff involved in drafting Section 4712.
Two men convicted of related crimes and victims involved in their cases.
Spokespersons for DoD, DoJ, and USCCR.
I wrote on a related matter for The Hill in 2017, and based on research undertaken since then, I think there is a potential for more stories about the civil rights of soldiers and veterans. Thank you for considering this pitch, I look forward to hearing from someone at their convenience.
