This was the first time we enshrined into law federal protections against crimes motivated by religious or racial hatred -- the law on which we build today.
On his nightly radio show on Wednesday, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins mentioned the plea deal and accused the Southern Poverty Law Center of playing a role in the shooting by inciting hatred and violence rather than fighting it -- a claim he has repeatedly made since the shooting.
Charles Clarke, the home secretary, said the Australian case reflected a harsh law in the state of Victoria: his measure would set the bar of religious hatred much higher.