Why single out certain crimes and make them hate crimes? The underlying acts are already crimes. Just because they are directed at a religion, race or sexual identity, should the punishment be stiffer or different from the underlying crime? Isn't this liberal pandering when the acts constitution the hate crime are already prohibited.
OR, is this some new class of crime that would not be illegal but for the hate crime legislation?
2007-09-27 09:13:34 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
To give certain groups an additional set of rights and protections that all of us do not enjoy.......
2007-09-27 09:15:53 · answer #1 · answered by Brian 7 · 6⤊ 7⤋
Hate crimes affect not only individual victims, but can also harm every other member of the group that individual represents, creating a sense of fear, vulnerability, insecurity, distrust, and outrage. They can also launch cycles of retaliation and counter-retaliation among groups.
Prejudice is at the heart of all hate crimes. Although most prejudiced individuals do not commit hate crimes, prejudice is a key motivation for those who do.
If a particular crime is CLEARLY motivated by racial, religious or sexual prejudice, it deserves to be identified as such.
I don't want to get off on a rant here, but our justice system has never, ever been totally fair with respect to who is a criminal, who is not, and why.
We have thousands of otherwise non-violent "criminals" behind bars for use of cannabis. You think this makes any sense? You're paying for their incarceration...
2007-09-27 11:31:45 · answer #2 · answered by John Doe 1st 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Hate crime statues have nothing to do with the crime, it is totally about who the victim is.
The purpose is so that when a white version of the Jena 6 comes along they will get hate crime charges added on top of the attempted murder charges while it is just two "harsh" to prosecute the Jena 6 with the crimes that they committed.
We cannot stop racism at the same time that racism is being written into law.
2007-09-27 09:19:10 · answer #3 · answered by sprcpt 6 · 4⤊ 4⤋
Yes it should be stiffer since the basis of the crime often involves the race, sexual orientation, or other criteria as the motivating factor, in other words if I beat the heck out of you because you're gay it was my prejudice that was my real agenda not anything else and otherwise you wouldn't have been harmed, it's society's way of casting serious disapproval of me attacking you because you're gay, or would you prefer they just let me beat the heck out of you and diminish the motive
2007-09-27 09:20:35 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
It is to perpetuate class warfare and give the feddle gummit more control over us!!!
Yet another attack on the Bill of Rights disguised as legislation to "help"
2007-09-27 11:17:32 · answer #5 · answered by fretochose 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's just a way for politicians to buy votes. Hate crime legislation is just plain silly. What does it matter if a person is murdered for their money, for the color of their skin, or just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time? They are just as dead and the perp is just as guilty. It's just "feel good" legislation that politicians use to make themselves look good, but doesn't change or accomplish anything.
2007-09-27 09:19:48 · answer #6 · answered by Aegis of Freedom 7 · 6⤊ 3⤋
The purpose of hate crime legislation, as conservatives pointed out before it became legislation, was to especially punish crimes which offended the bleeding hearted liberal charter for societal interaction. Or, in other words, crimes whose alleged motivations violate the code of political correctness.
2007-09-27 09:18:52 · answer #7 · answered by dagiffy 3 · 3⤊ 5⤋
Yes, hate crime laws have seem to become racist. In Chicago a few months ago, a two black guys beat up a white kid because he was white. He filed it under a hate crime and there was a big scene.
2007-09-27 09:17:18 · answer #8 · answered by Strats!! 4 · 5⤊ 3⤋
It's nonsense.
Not to belittle the crimes they classify as hate crimes but giving them more weight belittles other crimes like your run-of-the-mill rape and murder.
2007-09-27 09:25:29 · answer #9 · answered by gcbtrading 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
It's only value is to deter hate crimes. As Benjamin Franklin said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
2007-09-27 09:16:59 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 7⤋
Actually, no. A hate crime, is, indeed, different and more horrific than a "normal" crime.
Yes - the dead person is just as dead.
But to be singled out and targeted JUST because of your sexual preference or color is, most definitely, a more heinous deed.
2007-09-27 09:16:59 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 8⤋