Savannah Hate Crimes
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To the City Officials and Police Department of Savannah, Georgia:
The city of Savannah, Georgia has long been a city where tourists of all walks of life felt welcome and safe. It appeared to be a city that welcomed diversity and embraced creativity. The recent news of three hate crimes that occurred in March 2006, brutal attacks on two gay men and one African American man, is frightening and shocking.
However, what is most frightening is the unwillingness of the City of Savannah and its police department to acknowledge these issues and address them with swift actions. Even more appalling is that when two Savannah police officers found out that Travis McLain had been beaten because he was gay, they left him, bleeding and barely conscious, laying on the concrete floor of a parking garage while his attacker was left to walk away. Your police officers did not even wait for medical help to arrive! Your police departments reaction to these crimes has been sickening. Sgt. Mike Wilson's statement, "If a hate crime statute was in place, everyone would be charged with a hate crime", seems to be indicative of the Savannah Police Department's overall attitude towards all crimes of hate.
Countless human rights officials have contacted your city and asked for a measured and reactive response to these occurrences. The actions taken by Savannah have been null.
We, the undersigned, have been supporters and guests in your city on more than one occasion. We have dined at your restaurants, slept in your hotels and purchased goods in many of your stores. All the time, we felt that we were safe from such hideous crimes. Certainly, we felt that in the event something like this would happen, the City of Savannah and its police force would be there to address the problem and ensure our safety.
Unfortunately, this is not the case. Until the City of Savannah has publicly acknowledged the issue and provided us with the assurance and peace of mind that our safety is your number one concern, we will not return to your city as tourists.
There is no place in this world for bigotry and hate towards innocent people.
The city of Savannah, Georgia has long been a city where tourists of all walks of life felt welcome and safe. It appeared to be a city that welcomed diversity and embraced creativity. The recent news of three hate crimes that occurred in March 2006, brutal attacks on two gay men and one African American man, is frightening and shocking.
However, what is most frightening is the unwillingness of the City of Savannah and its police department to acknowledge these issues and address them with swift actions. Even more appalling is that when two Savannah police officers found out that Travis McLain had been beaten because he was gay, they left him, bleeding and barely conscious, laying on the concrete floor of a parking garage while his attacker was left to walk away. Your police officers did not even wait for medical help to arrive! Your police departments reaction to these crimes has been sickening. Sgt. Mike Wilson's statement, "If a hate crime statute was in place, everyone would be charged with a hate crime", seems to be indicative of the Savannah Police Department's overall attitude towards all crimes of hate.
Countless human rights officials have contacted your city and asked for a measured and reactive response to these occurrences. The actions taken by Savannah have been null.
We, the undersigned, have been supporters and guests in your city on more than one occasion. We have dined at your restaurants, slept in your hotels and purchased goods in many of your stores. All the time, we felt that we were safe from such hideous crimes. Certainly, we felt that in the event something like this would happen, the City of Savannah and its police force would be there to address the problem and ensure our safety.
Unfortunately, this is not the case. Until the City of Savannah has publicly acknowledged the issue and provided us with the assurance and peace of mind that our safety is your number one concern, we will not return to your city as tourists.
There is no place in this world for bigotry and hate towards innocent people.
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