WASHINGTON 鈥� A Maryland congressman made a strong speech against hate crimes on campus Wednesday on the House floor in the wake of the death of Army Lt. Richard Collins on the University of Maryland campus.
Rep. Anthony Brown, D-Maryland, called on the Trump Administration to help end 鈥渁 dangerous rising tide鈥� of hatred on and off college campuses.聽Collins, WHO was commissioned last week as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, was stabbed to death on the University of Maryland campus early Saturday morning.
Brown, whose district includes Laurel, Severna Park and Langley Park, saluted Collins by displaying an enlarged picture of the Bowie State student, who received his degree posthumously Tuesday. Brown cited Collins鈥� military and church background, as well as his interests.
鈥淗is parents were robbed,鈥� Brown said.
He added, however, that Collins鈥� death didn鈥檛 happen in isolation.
鈥淭his tragedy exposes a dangerous rising tide. This incident was not some random act of violence; it was a heinous, despicable and unprovoked crime of hate.鈥�
Collins鈥� alleged killer, Seth Urbanski, a U.Md. student, was a member of the racist Facebook group The Alt-Reich Nation. Collins鈥� death is being investigated as a hate crime, but authorities are urging patience. Prince George鈥檚 County Police Chief Hank Stawinski told The Associated Press Monday, 鈥淚鈥檓 asking 鈥� that we take pause and allow all these investigators to do their work.鈥�
Brown said of Urbanski, 鈥淗e was not some outsider; he was a homegrown terrorist who was radicalized on campus.鈥�
Brown went on to cite other reported incidents at U.Md., such as racist fliers and a noose found inside a fraternity house. He also cited incidents nationwide, including fliers at the University of Texas reading 鈥淎merican is a white nation鈥� and swastika-laden fliers at UCLA reading in part 鈥渢he hordes of our enemies, from the blacks to the Jews, are deserving of fates of violence.鈥�
The congressman said groups have tracked 150 racist incidents on college campuses in 33 states since the fall.
鈥淎 year ago, it was such a rarity that no one was even counting,鈥� he said.
He didn鈥檛 mention President Donald Trump by name, but said 鈥淥ne would have to be purposefully obtuse to not see a direct line from the recent elections to the emboldening of these perpetrators across the country,鈥� and called out 鈥渓eaders who have been too content to remain silent and look the other way.鈥�
Brown suggested zero-tolerance policies for hate speech and racism, citing efforts at the University of Massachusetts, which has a 鈥渉ate SWAT team.鈥� He also called for more diverse voices among college faculty and staff.
Treating Collins鈥� death 鈥渁s an isolated incident,鈥� Brown said, 鈥渨ill only make the situation worse.鈥�
