Anyone else find the concept of "Hate Crimes" as goofy as I do?

Question

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070321/ap_on_re_us/bar_hostages

I find the entire idea of "hate crimes" to be ludicrous. Have you ever heard of anyone committing a love crime?

Use the laws already on the books. I don't care if the bad guy held hostages because they were a particular color or because Justin Timberlake came to him in a dream and told him to do so. The fact remains he committed a real crime. Making one class of motive less respectable than another is silly. Shooting a bank teller because you're robbing her is more socially acceptable than shooting her because she's black? That makes no sense.

emily: that goes to the crime for which one is charged. Premeditation is the difference between 1st degree and 2nd degree murder, for example. I do understand your correlation, but I think the concept of premeditation has been a part of English Common Law and by extension our system for so long that it just IS.

kehko: If you believe I'm for coddling prisoners, you are so very far off the mark! I want to lock bad guys up for very long periods, in conditions that bring the movie "Midnight Express" to mind. I want the last thing a soon-to-be-released prisoner to think as he leaves the cellblock to be, "Good God, I am NOT coming back here".

That being said, dead is dead. I don't think the State belongs in the business of ranking preferability of reasons to kill people.

longhaired: Yeah, because we all know that liberals are just plain ol' better people than those mean old conservatives, don't we? *rolls eyes*

longhaired: you migjht want to actually read the story I referenced. It involves a black guy who had held a group of white people hostage. I don't care who does it, it's still nuts.

Answer 1

Ah, but it's the backdoor way of making racism itself illegal. The thought police laughed for days over that one.

Answer 2

Really? You think so? Crimes labeled as "hate crimes" get the perpetrators a few more years away from society, as well as they pretty damned should! That's also what has put away a few kids that went from "wilding" to picking on a particular ethnic group for victims... and I enjoyed hearing how the punks (who won't fight one on one with a skinny little girl) got very long prison terms and cried like sissies because they KNEW what awaited them in prison... gang rape in the showers and who knows what else!

It is no crime to hate. It is a crime to single out and act out to harm someone because of your hatred toward a particular gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race or nationality. The use of this term goes directly to the CAUSE of some assaults, attempted murders and even murders.

EDITED: holycrapd00d, that would fall under crime of passion and the defense would most likely be temporary insanity.

EDITED: Rick, I did not in any way suggest that you are in favor of coddling violent criminals or criminals in any way, shape or form... I merely indicated that it is a different kind of crime that deserves harsher punishment and what usually awaits those kinds of perpetrators (who are nothing more and nothing less than predators upon society and simply do NOT belong in society) You want someone to think before they leave the cell block but I much perfer that the person think BEFORE he finds he/she finds him/herself in court accused of a hate crime! By the way, this is really not a Liberal vs Conservative issue; let's keep it civil and leave politics out of a question that has more to do with law, ethics and punishment, OK?

Answer 3

hate crimes - just another way to stay political correct- crime is crime it sure never be mistaken, just so the people out side of the justice circle can have a different word to say, like a racial crime etc etc....we the people are so frighted of a crime, unless you live in crime area like i do, all i can hear when something happens on my side of my city , probly dope, probly deserved it, we would never call it a hate crime because this there education, what they know. also the only people i hear about hate-crimes is from the courts so the person that did the crime can do more time, one more and ill shut up, how about domestic violence, that is a true defintion of HATE-CRIMES thanks for listening

Answer 4

Hate crime is a crime committed out of hatred towards another in regards to race, religion, sexual orientation etc etc.

Unlike a crime motivated by the need for drugs or money, like a robbery. Not to mention hate crime assailants tend to be more violent towards their victims, causing more pain and anguish!

Not all hate crimes end in murder. So to compare it to killing a bank teller doesn't explain in detail what effect hate crimes have on people compared to non hate crimes.

Answer 5

Yes. When was the last time you heard of blacks killing whites referred to as a "hate crime" in the liberal media? The whole concept is a crime against intelligence.

Answer 6

I think it's a slippery slope. The crime should be prosecuted, not the feelings, no matter how distasteful they be. A dispicable murder is dispicable regardless of the why.

Answer 7

Some bad asses take a punch in a wise mouth one step farther,now and then,as well , it would seem.... Broken ribs,open wounds, you know ,a little extra something to remember him by, I wonder if that's would be called a "hate" crime too..!( or just an old-fashioned as$ kicking)

Answer 8

no I love the people I rob, I would never rob someone because of their color, I rob purely based on wallet content. and I'll only beat the crap out of someone for pissing me off neve because of their race. And murder? that's just for kicks but to kill someone for their religion, what do you think I am some kind of monster????????????

Answer 9

I know it's retarded. Most crimes are done out of hate, like a guy killing the guy who cheated with his wife who is the same race

Answer 10

No. But then I don't imagine you find the concept of "hate" as repulsive as I do.

EDIT: If the hood fits...