I’ve always felt lucky to live in Bloomington, Indiana -- a university town, and a melting pot for people from all over the world who are here to learn and teach in this great community. As a high school student, I have friends from many different places, and I feel enriched because of it.

But with this diversity comes conflict. Not too long ago, a Muslim woman was enjoying a cup of sweet tea with her 9-year-old daughter at a local restaurant, when a white Indiana University student attacked her. He didn’t know her. He just felt compelled to yell "white power" and grab her, trying to forcibly remove the scarf covering her head.

Imagine how she felt. Imagine how her daughter felt watching this. It was an attack fueled by bias -- the definition of a hate crime. It would be charged as such in almost every other state in the union, but Indiana is one of five states that does not have a hate crime law.

Some Indiana legislators have been trying for years to enact hate crime legislation, but so far, they’ve failed. On the heels of this senseless attack, let’s call on Indiana lawmakers to come together and pass a hate crime law now.

Hate crimes are committed to intimidate people, and communicate to them that they “don’t belong” because of perceived differences. Charging such attacks as hate crimes sends a counter-message -- one of equality, one that says we won't tolerate such actions. In this case, the 19-year-old attacker was charged with public intoxication, intimidation, and battery, which will certainly affect his life. But the fact that he isn’t charged with a hate crime tells the victim, her young daughter, and the community at large that Indiana law isn’t looking out for them.

Ignoring the motivation behind racially-charged attacks allows us to turn a blind eye toward hatred. And we can’t afford to ignore hatred anymore.

Please join me in calling on Indiana to enact hate crime legislation immediately.

Thanks for your support,

Maria Sarah Lysandrou