Are hate crime laws wrong?
 

It really chaps my hide that this passes Constitutional muster, that some grievance groups are entitled to more equal protection under the law than others. This nutcase who just shot up the church in TN is now being called a hate-criminal. Yeah, like anyone who shoots random innocent people has something other than hate in his heart. What kind of person (lawmaker) thinks that criminals who think nothing of committing murder or egregious bodily harm will then be deterred by an additional sentence for a hate crime? I'm not sure which is more insulting - that your attacker faces a stiffer sentence if you're a member of a grievance group or that we have such stupid, pandering lawmakers. If I beat my wife, do I get slapped with a hate crime in addition to domestic violence because she and I are of different races? Seems to me I would be the victim since Han Chinese far outnumber all the white people in the world combined.

"stupid, pandering lawmakers."

+1

btw, nice write up.

Yes, they are absolutely wrong...unless you can figure out how to make me part of a "grievance group"... ;)

All crime is hate crime.

+1

I justy don't get it. If I shout a racial slur at someone, I'm protected by the First Amend. But if I do it while shooting them, it escalates to a hate crime, my First Amend. right is then conditional and I could get an additional five years tacked on under federal law. Has this been tested by the SCOTUS yet?

is it a crime to hate stupid, pandering lawmakers?

Self loathing Suicide - do they get tagged for a hate crime?

Yep. A crime is a crime, no matter the motivation.

These laws were not enacted to actually reduce crime or foster a greater sense of justice. These laws were created by leftist politicians to give them the ability to label proper thinking conservatives as racists/homophobes.

In a very recent case here in Seattle, an elderly gentleman was out watering his garden that he had planted in the middle circle of a traffic roundabout. His hose was running accross the road, and apparently he was trying to pullit back, or whatever. Some one in a car got angry because they felt they were being delayed. A young man (either getting out of a car, or passing by - I'm not clear on this) clocks this older man, knocking him to the ground, killing him.

Police knew from witnesses who the young man (who fled) was. They asked for help in finding him. Only one news source that I saw published a photo of him. The rest only listed his name. Other than that one news source, none mentioned the race of the attacker or of the victim. You have probably guessed by now that the attacker was black and the victim was white. Had the roles been reversed, I'm relatively sure the races would have been mentioned and the photo would have been widely published and aired.

I wonder if the prosecutor will add "hate crime" to the charges. Typically, when it is black (or any minority) on white violence, these charges are not added. There have been a couple of other infamous cases accross the nation recently of black on white murder or assault where they were not filed. Wonder why.

The result of legislation that stems from knee-jerk, sensationalist, "get-your-name-in-the-papers-its-an-election-year" mentality on the part of our elected officials.

Kind of like "zero tolerance", "domestic terrorism" or similar pablum.

+1

Pathetic pandering.

NEWS SOURCE COMMENT:

The FBI was assisting in case the shooting turned out be a hate crime, Police Chief Sterling Owen said. Police said they would hold a news conference Monday morning.

The church promotes progressive social work, including advocacy of women and gay rights. The Knoxville congregation also has provided sanctuary for political refugees, fed the homeless and founded a chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, according to its Web site.

__________________________

His parents made him attend church, he didn't like it.

Or perhaps he just hates God? If you can't get to the 'Big Man'...you take out his surrogates.:p

Yep!
 

Yep!

C'mon, you guys are smarter than this.

Crime is crime.

When you commit crime for no other reason than the person is a particular ethnicity, sex or sexual persuasion then it is a hate crime and deserves a stiffer sentence.

It's a way to upgrade something like a simple assault charge, (which will usually result in a fine, slap on the wrist) so it has more teeth. Does it work, I don't know, but I have no issue with the concept.

Everyone can be a victim of a hate crime including AWM. It is not limited to any particular segment of society. The motivating factor of the antagonist makes the determination.

Is it any different than the distinction between Manslaughter and Murder?

Victim is dead either way right.

Now admittedly the application of these laws may be faulty. Blame the local DA's.

Most interracial crime is black on some other race. Yet virtually none is considered a hate crime.

What's the motivation for those that are not?

Car jacking, mugging, rape, murder?

Not a hate crime unless it was done specifically because the victim was ________.

And if it was simply because the victim is _______ but hate crime charges were not brought then you need to exercise your rights and vote in a DA that will apply the law correctly.

Same as if hate crime charges are brought where none are warranted.

Get yourself a new DA.

Yeah, but you're dead, you're dead, you're raped you're raped. IF the criminal did the crime on you because of your race, does it make it worse?

I guess it's sort of like the terrorist, versus criminal prosecution of people like the 9/11 bombers.

OMG ...just think of the irony, if:

It becomes a 'Hate Crime' because of his utterances he made before opening fire
and then an ACLU lawyer is provided ...that the very same church helped fund!

Who says God has no humor?