Maybe if this ridiculous hate crime standard didn't exist this kid could have recovered without all the scrutiny?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070702/ap_on_re_us/party_attack_death
2007-07-02 13:21:09 · 8 answers · asked by RP McMurphy 4 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
By definition, a hate crime is a criminal offense with political and/or social overtones. However, the component of the offense that heightens the penalty (the "hate" part) is purely social and/or political in nature and looks not to the crime committed but, instead, to a select set of motivations, i.e. violent acts or threats of violence directed against only certain segments of the general population. This is selective criminalization of thought itself; is patently unconstititional; and must be done away with.
2007-07-02 21:52:08 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
It has nothing at all to do with "political correctness". The press should not have given his name, but they are relentless in their quest to expose details of someone else's pain.
There is always "that kid" whether it's the one who was molested or raped or someone with a suicide in the family... If there was a place for them to heal away from public scrutiny and the spotlight, they might have a chance. But privacy doesn't guarantee that they won't have self-distructive impulses after a trauma.
2007-07-02 21:05:51 · answer #2 · answered by Dee G 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What led to this kids death was the embarassment of being sodomized by a group of teenagers who became racist thugs. He should have sought out professional help but didn't. This is a very sad case. I had not heard about this until I read this story. This is just an awful shame that this kid decided he would rather be dead than live with what happened.
Good Luck!!!
2007-07-02 20:30:09 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The two primary attackers received extremely hard sentences for their actions (much deserved) in this case WITHOUT the bill in question being in place -- we have very thorough laws governing every kind of criminal activity that exists -- the addition of laws that attempt to "specialize" the law's approach to "particular" cases -- is nothing more than an attempt to "specialize particular cases" and accomplishes NOTHING but a complication OF LAW that can serve NO good to the social order --- it simply confuses the letter OF the law !!!
It is shameful that this individual did not get the help that he must have definately needed -- and the completion of his wishes to end his life can be laid as much at the door of the very system that said they supported him as at the door of the one's who perpetrated the criminal acts !!!!!
2007-07-02 20:45:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Your logic is convoluted.
Instead of your solution, wouldn't it have made better sense for him to change his name? He could do that and go to college far away from home and never worry about being confronted with that situation again.
If anything, his end should encourage people to help those who have to stand up for their rights to transition to a less public life when the trial is over or the need for their input has ceased.
As it stands, the blame for his death should rest on the people who victimized him in the first place.
2007-07-02 20:27:35 · answer #5 · answered by nora22000 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
According to that logic, maybe we should make rape legal because it's embarassing for the victims to put rapists in jail?
Any kid getting raped in the butt with a foreign object is going to get some scrutiny.
2007-07-02 20:33:44 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Okay, let me get this straight. You're blaming hate crimes laws and political correctness for this guy's pain. So if there weren't any hate crimes or political correctness, he'd easily get over being sodomized with a pipe.
What exactly are you smoking?
2007-07-02 20:43:34 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
And if he'd stayed away from drugs, he'd have been here today.
2007-07-02 20:25:39 · answer #8 · answered by nowyouknow 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋