“Hate Crime” Legislation A Constitutional Travesty
By the way did you know that “hate crime” legislation passed the US House of Representatives on April 29th?
My latest Examiner column talking about and denouncing it.
~McQ
One would think murder, rape, robbery were crimes enough in and of themselves.
I’m concluding they will have proved intent so that I’m not charged with a hate crime if I commit manslaughter.
Clearly getting elected and entering the legislature is no indication of anything other than an ability to collect campaign funds and run for office.
Hate crimes were a big topic on my university (UNH). I used to ask my professors what constituted ‘hate’, but the only answers received were incredulous looks.
“What is hate? Is it okay to hate bald men?”
“There is a HISTORY of hate against these people!”
“Why should current hate targets be any less of a consideration than hate against previous targets? And what counts for hate?”
*Incredulous looks from professors* “It’s okay… he comes from a conservative background.”
Can anyone post a link regarding a prosecution of an African-American for a “black on white” crime?
Anyone?
There are plenty of prosecutions of African-Americans for “black on white” crime. The Jena 6, for instance. But those aren’t hate crimes, nosiree
Bruce… you’re making an argument I have been making for a decade and more.
Here’s one essay on the subject from 2001.
Key Paras:
Such discrepancies alas constitute legal life in America today. And with our over dependence on law, and on government, such nonsense penetrates every aspect of our day to day lives. The obvious question is why such double standards are permitted to exist. The answer, I fear, goes directly to the heart of the motive behind the hate crime laws.
Understand; “motive” is not an idle choice of a word.. I consider the laws and the motive behind them, criminal. Why?
Well, in answer, it doesn’t pass my notice, and I hope it doesn’t pass yours, that there are many who scream loudly to the populace for hate crimes laws when certain groups… groups whom they have historically favored… are targeted. Yet, these same people keep stony silence when other groups that they don’t favor are. You should also take note, of which are which. This disparity, (along with the disparity in the implementation of hate crime laws themselves) sends the message that hate itself isn’t the real issue… but rather WHOM you hate… that it’s OK to hate certain people. And of course, by passing hate crime laws and selectively implementing them, the government sends the clear message of which we shall and shall not hate.