Why should a hate crime have any more punishment than a regular crime?

Question

Why is it that if someone murders a gay person because they are gay that is any different than some stupid gang banger randomly shooting someone? Why is it that the gay person is treated as a higher class citizen because they are gay?

To answer the excellent question, would it matter if it were a Christian, the answer is no. I do not care why you kill someone. Murder is murder. Giving a hate crime a harsher sentence is saying that the recipient is a more important person. The only exceptions to this are witnesses, police, and the like.

Answer 1

a crime is a crime regardless of who it happens to. punishment should be equal for equal crimes. it makes no difference whether the victim is gay or a minority. it upsets me that as a hetero white male, I could be the victim and the person that committed the crime against me would get a less harsh punishment than if I were gay or black!

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Recidivism rates are much higher for hate crimes than other crimes, which is why there are enhanced penalties for such crimes in order to prevent them from happening again. After serving sentences for a hate crime, the person still hates when released and is much more likely to perform another hate crime. Hate crime victims are not treated as a higher class citizen, but it is in the governments and societies best interests to prevent another crime from happening.

There is also the question of prejudice with juries against a hate crime victim. In one example a murderer confessed to murdering a gay man, placing his body into a suitcase, and putting the suitcase into a lake; the murderers family testified that the murderer had told them that he was going to kill the victim because he was gay. In spite of this, the jury found him not guilty of murder and guilty of second degree manslaughter instead. The murderer is eligible for parole after serving 30 months.

Answer 4

Gays are targeted out of hated and bigotry, two things this world can live without. People are people, it shouldn't matter to anyone what they are or what they believe. Gang bangers on the other hand don't care who they kill. If they miss there intended target they couldn't care less.

One thing they both have in common is "STUPIDITY" You don't have to have a brain in your head to shoot someone or beat somebody to a pulp. It's a shame they don't utilize the few brain cells they have left for something a little more productive like a job or going to school, learning a skill, but, God forbid they do something useful..

Answer 5

If a gay person kills someone who is straight BECAUSE the victim is straight, then that is also a "hate crime." The hate crime law doesn't make any person a higher class citizen because of what they ARE. The hate crime law emphasizes that certain motives are worse than other motives. And yes, killing someone because of hate against a classification (note that a classification corresponds to a class, but the word classification gives every class of persons the same rights -- white and black are both racial classes, but if you disallow all racial classifications in law, then that treats everyone equally) is a worse motive than killing someone randomly or out of a motivation of greed, lust, etc.

Answer 6

It shouldn't. Crime is crime regardless of the reason for doing it. It's not illegal to dislike or hate someone. If it were illegal, everyone that I meet would be my best friends. There is no such thing as thought police in this country. However, to use your hatred to commit crime against someone is ludicrous. Murder is murder. Robbery is robbery. Assault is assault. These are crimes and should be given the same punishment if convicted.

Answer 7

there's a distinction between reason and reason. reason is used in the time of the trial to instruct that the defendant meant to commit the crime they're being charged with. reason is used for the period of sentencing while pondering what punishment is adjudicated on somebody got here across to blame of a particular crime. in the occasion above, the reason could be to homicide a sufferer. as quickly as guilt is shown previous a lifelike doubt (approx ninety 8% confident) then the decide might evaluate the reason in the time of the sentencing section. it is the place hate crimes come into play as there is in many cases stricter sentencing policies if the reason being desperate to have been hatred of one team for yet another. the entire objective of rules are to guard society. the entire objective of the criminal justice equipment is to discourage crime. while somebody commits a hate crime, they knowingly and purposefully commit against the regulation in a predatory way wherein they seek for out a member of yet another team and do them injury. Given this rubrik, i think of it extremely is clever, as a society to hold those human beings in charge for his or her crimes, and supply them extra time to think of approximately what they have performed in detention center. besides, i think the greater desirable reformatory cases will shield society, a minimum of in the mean time from an extremely detrimental member. it is my 2 cents. “whether that's no longer precise do no longer do it; whether that's no longer actual do no longer say it.” -Marcus Aurelius it extremely is that easy.

Answer 8

Yes, murder is murder. The random murder was done with reckless disregard for human life (the dead person was in the wrong place at the wrong time) whereas the gay person was murdered because of who he was (ie: gay).

By doling out a more severe penalty does not mean we're a 'higher class citizen'.

Answer 9

I agree all people should be treated equally. Both killing a gay person and a straight person should both have the same punishment as we are both people. We are not higher or lower

Answer 10

Passing hate crime laws gives some people warm feelings inside.