What good does hate crime legislation do?

Question

OK, let's see. If I meat the tar out of someone, because say, they insulted my wife, I get charged with assault.
But if I beat the tar out of someone because they are black, and I just hate black people, well, I get charged with a hate crime.

Is it smart to judge a crime by one's motives? Isn't that parallel to policing your thoughts? Think about ti, in court they will be trying to determine whether or not the accused hated black people or not.

Now, I understand crimes like those white teenagers, years back, who dragged a black girl behind their car. But they should have receive increase sentences because the crime was so brutal, not because the person was black.

Aren't hate crimes, affirmative action, the "Miss Black America" pageant; all serving to further divide our country, and no more?

After all, remember what the GREAT leader MLK once said:

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Isn't affirmative action, and hate crime legislation, an example of 'judging by the color of their skin"???

Answer 1

Hate crimes, much like affirmative action only further promote racism in this country. The idea that one crime is worse because of the color of the skin of the victim is horrifying. Crime is crime and should be punished according to the severity of the crime.

Answer 2

Agreed.

The hate crime legislation was intended to fight crimes based solely on race, religion or sexual orientation.

Its not just because a white person punches a person of another race. But, that's what it has bastardized into. Everyone is so afraid to upset a minority or gay group so they jump through hoops to try and prove how diverse they are.

And you are correct about Affirmative Action. It had ts place 40 years ago... as major racial issues against blacks was common and accepted. But, today, all AA does is hold down minorities by giving the the mind set that they are second class people. It also ensures that the best person many times does not get the job due to racial quotas. This is especially a problem in Government service.

People like Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton are actually holding down their own race. They need to keep racial tension alive as it keeps their bank accounts full. I have many black co-workers. They are educated and good people. They are insistent about telling me that the likes of Jackson and Sharpton do not speak for them. Those two nuts are no different than the David Dukes on the white side. He does not speak for me either.

Answer 3

Agreed, I have been stating my opposition to hate crime legislation, because it punishes thought, rather than behavior. After a while, we are punishing thoughts and non-violent actions, which could lead to some very troubling outcomes.

Your MLK quote is a good one! I tried to start a group on the same idea. It never got off the ground, but it is still there: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MERCEA/

As far as the answer who wonders about killing five people as a terrorist vs. five people in a car crash, it has nothing to do with motive, it has everything to do with national security. Keeping that goal in mind is a point that seems to be lost in the leftist rhetoric lately. Even the Communists have more sense than that.

Oh, and no one seems to get the humor, but I still think that before we do away with hate crimes that we should use them to prosecute politicians for pork bills.

Answer 4

We are a nation more divided now than ever. White flight has cause de facto segregration now that de jure segregation is no longer legal.

Matthew Shepard is one example of crime that occured based on his sexuality and it should be noted. If capital punishment is in place to deter people from murder wouldn't increased sentences for hate crimes do the same for people who want to kill someone based on color, background, etc.? Diversity is not a black/white question either.

We have divided this nation and once there is equal access for all people to education, housing, etc we can stop asking the questions if it is all necessary. By the way, did you know that the largest recipient of affimative action benefits have been white women?

Answer 5

No, hate crimes have been reported long in the previous the introduction of the gay Civil Rights stream. It took the gay Civil Rights stream, and assaults like the Matthew Shephard incident to provoke the final public into enacting a undeniable set of rules that preserve minorities from abuse from maximum persons. i in my opinion consider hate crime penal codes, and on an identical time as, on the outdoors that's easy to assert that each and every person crimes are inspired via hate, you're evaluating apples to oranges. a criminal offense against a gay or a black guy or female because of the fact they are gay or black is plenty greater despicable from society's attitude (subsequently motives why we've hate crimes law) than in basic terms some random, gratuitous violence. Why are you bringing up hypotheticals? maximum persons of individuals, and our legislatures, help hate crimes law. it is by no ability going away... additionally, somebody above stated gays being charged with hate crimes against church homes? probable won't happen because of the fact i've got confidence that the Mormons and Catholics are perpetrating those assaults themselves as a manner to provoke help for his or her marketing campaign against homosexuality. And back, it is not a criminal offense against a particular guy or woman or team of persons, yet fairly against a construction. it is greater of a controversy of vandalism than something because it isn't any longer inciting violence against Christians.

Answer 6

The new hate crime bill could make it a federal offense to park in a handicaped space.
Just way too absurd.
Where's the common sense?

Answer 7

It seems to me that hate crimes are thought crimes. My guess is that we will have thought police next making sure we are thinking the right things. Does this remind anyone else of 1984? Scary, huh

Answer 8

it does nothing but create a certain ultra protected class, leaving the white male more or less UNprotected by the federal government. it goes against the 14th amendment, EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW.....

one could get a harsher sentence based on who the crime was against, using religion, sexual preference and so on to dictate a sentence. if it was one of the protected class, youre in trouble.

Answer 9

wouldnt any crime by a man against a woman then be judged a hate crime based on gender? (of course, a woman could NEVER hate a man, right?)

Answer 10

Hate crime legislation is judging the accused by the content of their character.

Let me ask you a different question: A man kills five people with his car. Should he recieve more or less of a sentence than a man who kills five people in a terrorist act?