Doing Social Good While having Fun: why does it happen and what should be done? Will "Hate Crime" status help?

Question

'“…reports of violent targeting of the homeless are rising sharply in America. According to Hate, Violence, and Death on Main Street USA, a 2006 report from the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH), 26 states recorded assaults or murders of homeless people committed last year, not counting so-called "homeless-on-homeless" violence. Nationwide, there were 142 reported attacks on homeless persons, up 65% from the 86 logged in 2005, and up almost 300% from the 36 docked in 2002. Included among the 2006 crimes were five rapes, six people set on fire and 20 murders. These numbers are almost certainly low, because a high percentage of attacks on the homeless are believed to go unreported.

"Some attackers have the impression that they are carrying out a social good while having fun"...

"The victimization rates are so significant that we have to make a specific statement to deter the conduct — not just because people think the homeless are worthless, but also because law enforcement will think they are worthless and not put attackers under any punishment."
The escalating violence and accompanying media coverage has prompted lawmakers… to introduce legislation that would extend hate crime laws to enhance penalties for violent crimes committed against homeless people”
‘The federal Hate Crimes Sentencing Enhancement Act protects people on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability and sexual orientation. NCH and other advocates for the homeless are pressing the federal government to add housing status to that list.

Supporters of the proposed homeless bill in the Florida legislature point out that existing state law there already provides penalty enhancements for acts of violence committed against a wide array of victims based on their status — police officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, bus drivers, prison staffers, and even sports referees, teachers and code inspectors — but not the homeless.'
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?pid=1416
and
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/getinvolved/projects/hatecrimes/hatecrimes04/bumfights.html

For the Slower Students: these stats were generated using very simple math. You add up one column of deaths (especially hard to fake) & assaults, add up another, and compare the two rows (du-uh).

The data will have been complied by police (police reports), coroners, and hospital emergency wards. It would be very safe to assume that many attacks against the homeless go unreported - so the stats are actually substancially higher than they appear to be.

Answer 1

Adding the homeless to the Hate Crimes Act might help and I hope they get that status. But what is really needed, in my opinion, is to identify kids at an early age who lack empathy, etc., in their personalities and are in danger of growing up to commit crimes on society like the attacks on bums and mass shootings at schools. But early intervention for at risk kids requires programs that half the population of the our country would not be willing to fund.

Answer 2

This is so disgusting. What is wrong with people?

I think it does have a lot to do with how the homeless are perceived. In the local news here where I live there's a story about a neighborhood that's getting together to protest a couple who have turned their home into a sanctuary for the homeless. It's a well-to-do neighborhood, and people are afraid their property value would go down..."people" are so frickin' insane sometime.
I think we should do something to protect the homeless, since our society generally does precious little else to help them.

Answer 3

i'm with you, he extremely has accomplished no longer something to deserve the Presidency. extremely some the votes weren't plenty for him yet against Bush, then of course he had the minorities most of the Blacks and Hispanics. human beings are large at promoting, and Obama is a sort of things, backed through George Sores, the corrupt Chicago politicians and the liberal media which they in no way veted him like that's been accomplished with different applicants. by way of fact that he's black, no longer many dared to invite incisive questions, for concern to be noted as a racist. And voila! in a nut shell it somewhat is how he grew to become President, in no way for his accomplishments or experience

Answer 4

Great question. My personal opinion is that we're nurturing more and more cowardly aspirations by exposing more people to violence at a younger and younger age. These wieners all want to be "winners" ---in the worst way. "The worst way" being attacking the most powerless.