ORDINANCE
WHEREAS, The City of Chicago is a home rule unit of government pursuant to the 1970 Illinois Constitution, Article VII, Section 6 (a); and
WHEREAS, Pursuant to its home rule power, the City of Chicago may exercise any power and perform any function relating to its government and affairs including the power to regulate for the protection ofthe public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, Perpetrators of hate crimes seek to dehumanize their victims and to strike fear and terror on specific groups of people in our society; and
WHEREAS, Acts of discrimination, profiling and harassment against marginalized communities have regularly occurred across the country; and
WHEREAS, The City of Chicago supports and protects all its residents and seeks to create a welcoming community which promotes tolerance and acceptance; and
WHEREAS, Hate crimes are a threat not only to the victims but to the community as a whole; and
WHEREAS, Military personnel are highly visible, both in dress and demeanor; and
WHEREAS, United States Military personnel, both active and veteran, shoulder a heavy load in the protection of this country; and
WHEREAS, As of the 2010 census, active duty military personnel make up less than 1 % of the population ofthe United States, while veterans comprise approximately 7%; and
WHEREAS, There have been numerous reported crimes against military service members dating back as far as the 1960's; and
WHEREAS, Between 1965 and 1970, there were 101 attacks on military service members and military installations; and
WHEREAS, Our Nation has seen numerous attacks on military service members and military installations, including bombings, fires and Molotov cocktail attacks; and
WHEREAS, Most recently, a single gunman attacked both an Armed Forces Career Center and a Naval Reserve Center on July 16, 2015, in two separate Chattanooga strip malls, killing four Marines and a Navy sailor while wounding two others; and
WHEREAS, Additional attacks have occurr...
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