Hate crimes, isn't it just silly? Isn't it just thought crime?

Question

I, being White, had this discussion with several co-workers, who were Black ( I REFUSE TO BE BULLIED INTO USING POLITICALLY CORRECT TERMS AND I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT HEAR EITHER!)
OK, a white guy kills a Black man, who he caught in bed with his wife. another White guy kills a White guy he caught with HIS wife.
They both get 10 years for murder, but a crime of passion, even so far.
Now a white guy kills an ice cream truck driver because he hates ice cream truck drivers, plans it and he gets 30 years for 1st degree
now a white guy kills a black guy because he hates blacks, he is one prejudiced S.O.B.
He gets 30 yrs +10 for it being a "hate crime"
a white guy who also hates blacks drives around town giving the finger to every black he sees, freedom of speech, they say.
Same hate I say, so why no 10 yrs in jail?
Because of WHAT HE DID!
Thereby rendering the motive moot but punishing the action only!
ALL CRIME IS A FORM OF HATE!
Arguments???

Once those who insist on a segregated world view are fully denounced, and the truth that there is only 1 race,HUMAN, is finally accepted, then this silliness will finally bee seen for what it is, FOLLY!
any person who is willing to premeditatedly harm another person or that person's property, is a danger to ALL people!
Hate crime is exactly thought crime as it punishes the motive as if some motive for killing is less evil.
I believe I argued that there are differing levels of murder and that crimes of passion, or accidents are not even open to the hate crime debate (at this point anyway).
Accepting that certain prejudices are worse than others can lead to institutionalizing of these tought patterns and even classifying them as mental illnesses, which would lead to legal unaccountability, just as persons who are mentally retarded or insane.
That would open the floodgates for those who WANT to commit crime, based on their hate, but do NOT do so, because THEY fear the consequences.

Answer 1

No, not all crimes are based on hate. And hate crimes are not punishment for thoughts. Hate crime legislation is a sentence enhancement to some other criminal act or statute.

The reason hate crimes are considered worse is a function of the mental state involved. Just like intentional murder can be treated as more severe than reckless homicide (manslaughter) or negligent homicide. The more culpable mental state allows for a greater punishment, even though the physical act and result (death of a person) is the same.

In your example. White guy #1 hates ice cream truck drivers. White guy #2 hates blacks. The first group is not a protected minority class, the way race or religion or some other things are.

Where a crime is committed based on racial or gender or religious or other prejudice (thus being a hate-motivated crime), the mental state is not merely a desire to harm one person. It's a desire to harm or destroy everyone who exhibits a certain trait. The victim at the time just happens to be one of many who exhibit that trait. Thus, the the victim was attacked not for anything unique to that individual (as in most other crimes) but because the victim was a representative of some larger group.

That different mental state compared to other crimes allows for the sentence enhancement.

People ask why all crimes aren't considered hate crimes. The answer should be obvious from the above definition. If you attack one person because they made you angry, that's hatred against the the individual you are attacking. But based on that same motivation, you would have no reason to attack a thousand other people, unless each one of them individually also made you angry.

Hate crimes are where you want to attack those thousand other people, because they all share the same trait (are all members of whatever group) that you hate. And this particular victim just happened to be the first one you came across. But your attack on them had nothing to do with them as an individual. It was your intent to attack an entire large group, and they just happened to be handy.

Answer 2

Hate crimes would be a good idea if they were applied to every race/ethnicity of people, but of course, their not.

Even then, the vast majority of hate crimes are perpetrated by non-whites against whites. Overwhelmingly, the most common interracial crimes committed are black on white.

And no, I'm not trying to push sympathy for white people--I don't even like most white people, but the facts are the facts.

Answer 3

hate crimes are crimes against people solely because they are different than you.
they inspire other crimes.
we have said statute for several reasons:

1- make people feel safer/make people think twice about getting violent instead of practicing civilized free speech against people they dislike

2-stop others from imitating these crimes.

3-set an example: we will not tolerate hate fueled violence period.

i support hate crime statutes

Answer 4

<-- Secretly wishes there were more hate crimes against the non-white minorities in Europe!

Answer 5

What?