When it comes to extending protections under hate crimes laws, groups already protected have varying opinions.
“It really makes me uneasy when we look at possibly adding professions to the hate crime legislation,” said Austin Davis Ruiz. Ruiz is the Communications and Marketing Manager for The Montrose Center, which advocates for LGBTQ rights.
He says he’s taken back after hearing Dr. Peter Hotez, who says he’s been attacked for his stance on Coronavirus protocols and vaccine access, wants hate crime protections extended to scientists.
“Really does a disservice because a profession is not necessarily the same thing as an identity-based characteristic. That’s really what hate crime legislation is,” Ruiz says.
In an article citing cases involving crimes toward scientists, Hotez, in part, writes, “We should look at expanded protection mechanisms for scientists currently targeted by far-right extremism in the United States. Another possibility is to extend federal hate-crime protections.”
Hotez tweeted that his level of hate emails is up, some including Nazi images and threats.
Houston NAACP president Dr. James Dixon says he understands Hotez’s perspective.
“It’s a tragic hour in America when health professionals, experts, scientists like Dr. Fauci, Dr. Hotez and others would have their lives threatened for simply doing what they took an oath to do,” Dixon said. “If these kinds of competent individuals, under the fear of losing their lives and being violently treated and their families (being violently treated as well), decided to withhold that knowledge, there’s only a small percent of individuals that have that kind of competency.”
KPRC has been trying to reach Dr. Hotez for comment since last week. He has not gotten back to us. On Monday, we noticed he was busy doing interviews on national tv.
Ruiz says there should be measures added to enhanced punishment for people that do attack police officers or scientists, but maintains they shouldn’t be considered or called hate crimes.