What's the difference is someone is murdered because they're black or white? They're still murdered, aren't they? Isn't that like saying just because someone is black, they're life is worth more years on a sentence than that of a white person?
2007-12-26 07:12:10 · 11 answers · asked by Magnus 5 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Now thats actually a thought-provoking question! (My apostrophe key is broken, so bear with my punctuation.)
I remember very specifically an incident that happened when I was just a sweet, young thing of 22. I worked for the Federal Government in the Courts. The DOJ was needing to cut back on its employees and talk was that our group was going to get the axe first. There were two African Americans complaining in the halls that they KNEW they would be the ones to get the axe because they were black. One guy -- very quiet and soft-spoken guy -- stands up and says, No, actually the guy who will get this axe will be a white, middle-aged man.
The guy who got fired first? Gary. 45 years old. Seniority up the ying-yang. Never called out sick. Always had his work done on time. Professional as the day is long. A mentor to all the newbies coming on, including me. Never had any complaints filed against him, just an all-around good guy. And white.
I am definitely NOT a racist, but what people dont seem to realize is that racism is not a crime thats only committed against African Americans, Jews or Muslims, it is also committed against white people and Christians and other *majority* groups just as often, if not more. It goes unreported and un-talked about. Very sad.
2007-12-26 07:14:32 · answer #1 · answered by Rebecca 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Crime is crime. The existance of hate crimes has several negative connotations. First is that one group may be more succeptable to crime than another area, and they are protected, which is unequal treatment.
Crimes should be punished as crimes, regardless of if the target is a 'special' minority. That being said, however, I will aknowledge that there have been incidents of justice not being served in some cases because of the minority involved. That must also end
Justice must be applied equally to all groups, so that what group you are in does not matter; that would end the need for any of these 'hate-laws.'
2007-12-26 15:27:37 · answer #2 · answered by Edward S 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hate crime laws do not just apply to crimes committed by whites against minorities. If a black person were to attack a white person for being white, then they would also be charged with a hate crime. In practice it is definitely true that more white people are charged with hate crimes, but that's only because there are more racially motivated white-on-black crimes committed than there are racially motivated black-on-white crimes.
2007-12-26 15:19:56 · answer #3 · answered by Somebody else 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
like the first one to answer said, it is a thought provoking question. since you have posed this question with the black white race lines i will follow that in my answer. the difference is the imputice resulting in the death. if i kill you because you break into my house and you happen to be black is one thing. the situation is totally different if i kill you because i have a known association with an anti black group and/or a known blatant aversion to black people and you are the black person that is close, or you are conveniently in a situation that makes it easy to kill you. first example can be argued as self defence and the one breaking in is the aggressor. the second example the murder is not in self defence it is predicated by a hatered of the black person purely because of their skin color and perceived inequalites in the system and prejudicial ideas you have about the black person. that does not make thier life more valuable it makes your life less valuable. whats more important is that you, by choosing your affiliations and attitudes, have also chosen to minimize the value of your own life. every time you react to a situation it is purely your choice to react that way. if you allow yourself to decide to hate someone or affliliate with those that hate and act on that hatered then you are guilty of your choice to hate someone without any first hand knowledge of that individual. if i steal your car and crack it up. it is ok for you to not hate me for the hardshiop i have cause you. if you hate me because i have some quality that makes me different from you it is your choice once again to hate me, although your hatered is not justified.
nickie m makes a good point the hate crime laws do not devalue anyone. the devaluation in my opinion is the choice of the one commiting the crime to devalue themselves.
2007-12-26 15:34:38 · answer #4 · answered by tom5251972 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Hate crime laws are not set to devalue the life of any being, instead it is used as a deterring factor to protect those in the minority. The inference that hate crime laws devalue the lives of the majority is as absurd as saying that child abuse/ rape laws devalue the lives of adults. Such laws are made because of the nature of the crimes, not the victim, and are used to protect society against people who like to prey on the weak or minority.
2007-12-26 15:24:11 · answer #5 · answered by nickie m 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You are saying then a black person couldn't be charged for racially killing a white person. They can be. A hate crime does not just apply to one group.
2007-12-26 15:29:51 · answer #6 · answered by wcowell2000 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No . Because if a minority murders a majority based on racism or bigotry it is still a hate crime is it not ? As long as ALL hate crimes are prosecuted as hate crimes, not simply those comitted against minorities , that particular issue is not a problem. There are other reasons to oppose hate crimes legislation though as well as several reasons to support it.
2007-12-26 15:30:09 · answer #7 · answered by Vince Foster 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Hate crimes can and do endanger yet more hate in a diverse society. Therefore committing a hate crime is really no different from yelling fire in crowded theatre. All you are doing is yelling, but someone might get trampled.
2007-12-26 15:18:16 · answer #8 · answered by michinoku2001 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If they were written in a race specific manner, they would. However, hate crime laws do not specify the race of the defendant or the victim, only that the crime was racially (or sex orientation etc) motivated.
2007-12-26 15:16:38 · answer #9 · answered by davidmi711 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Actually, if a person is killed because he is black, there's more than just murder.
There's racism. See the murderer hates all black people, not just the one he killed, he didn't want kill the person itself he wanted to kill the race and that is completely different. It has nothing to do with the worth we give to other people's lives...We are all equal, black or white, asian or native....
2007-12-26 15:18:06 · answer #10 · answered by Josephine 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋