Pasadena, CA - August 8, 2012 - The National Hispanic Media Coalition ("NHMC") sends its condolences and stands with the Sikh community after the tragic act of violence inflicted upon it in Wisconsin this past weekend. Recent reports indicate that the perpetrator may have been motivated by racism and hate.
The following statement can be attributed to Alex Nogales, President & CEO of NHMC:
"Evidence continues to emerge that reveals this senseless and evil act to be a hate crime. It is becoming clear that this peaceful community was targeted because of prejudice and hatred. A deeper look into the life of the troubled individual who carried out this act, by our allies at the Southern Poverty Law Center and others, reveals the role that telecommunications and media played in nurturing and affirming his misplaced and destructive beliefs - from the racist music scene that he participated in, to his enjoyment of hateful Internet radio and bigoted websites. For years, we have asked the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to update its 1993 report entitled The Role of Telecommunications in Hate Crimes. Every moment that we continue to ignore these emerging trends, more and more innocent lives are put at stake. Until we know what we are up against in this new information age, terrible events like the one we witnessed on Sunday will continue to occur."
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