How do you describe a hate crime ?

[toto2]

There is bill that is about to be passed in the US to include sexual orientation in the hate crime law.

Some very powerfull rightwind organisation are lobying against this inclusion.

Isn't Matthew Sheppard muder just as hatefull as the murder of an african-american because of the color of his/her skin ?

So my questionis , how do you define a hate crime.

You will tell me that all crimes are hatefull in nature , but , to use quote :

"Every act of violence is tragic and harmful in its consequences, but not all crime is based on hate. A bias-motivated crime affects not only the victim and his or her family but an entire community or category of people. In the most basic terms, hate crimes run counter to everything we believe in and fight for as Americans - freedom, equality, and justice for all."

From:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-solmonese/here-we-go-again_b_47547.html

 

[Cool-Beans]

I've said it before, but I don't like the idea of "hate crime." If you kill someone and it was because you're a jerk and not because you had to, I don't much care about what color or sexual orientation the person you killed was. Off to jail, buh-bye.

It kind of scares me that we as a society are starting to consider one murder worse than another, based on the race or sexual orientation of the person killed. I can see the day where it will be OK to kill that guy, because he's orange and we don't care about orange people anyway. Not good.

What happens if society says, "We've changed our minds. It's worse to kill a straight person. Kill a gay guy, you go to jail for 5 years. Kill a straight one, though, it's 20."

The punishment should be based on the crime and not society's stance on the worthiness of the victim.

 

[Youarehere]

A crime committed against a random person because of a group that they belong to or fall into, rather than because of something particular about the person.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I agree with Cool-Beans.

I'll add that I do believe that all crimes stem from hate. A person that would commit atrocities can't love him/herself and hurt another human being.

 

[Bob Slydell]

I've said it before, but I don't like the idea of "hate crime." If you kill someone and it was because you're a jerk and not because you had to, I don't much care about what color or sexual orientation the person you killed was. Off to jail, buh-bye.

The punishment should be based on the crime and not society's stance on the worthiness of the victim.

ITA

I would agree with the definition that Youarehere gave for a hate crime. I disagree, however, with specific laws making one crime any worse than another.

 

[stargrazer]

I agree it's terrible to say one murder is worse than another, but I have to say when a pedophile kills a child - or anyone for that matter - I have a lot more anger about it than when an adult is murdered.

I'm sure someone will tell me how wrong I am but to me taking a child's life is just the bottom of the pit.

 

[TurboKitty]

I would define a hate crime as;

a violent offense commited upon a targeted victim, chosen specifically because of his or her ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual bias.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I believe that anytime one commits a crime they due it out of some form of hate. They hate the person, culture, looks, money etc.

I don't need the word "hate" in their. They commmit a crime and they pay the time.

 

[tiger95]

A crime is a crime, and it should be persecuted to the fullest extent of the law. To add a special tag to the crime because of a person's race/sexual orientation or anything else is insane. It is saying that, that victim's life is more important than that of any other victim.

 

[JennyMominRI]

A crime is a crime, and it should be persecuted to the fullest extent of the law. To add a special tag to the crime because of a person's race/sexual orientation or anything else is insane. It is saying that, that victim's life is more important than that of any other victim.

I don't think hate crimes laws say anything about the *value* of the victim..I see them as saying something about the values of the perpitrator.
If I hate someone because they have done something really bad, then to me it's more excusable than if I hate someone just because they are Jewish or Muslim or gay.
If I kill someone kills another because of their skin color I find them a more reprehensable than I find someone who kills out of anger, or self defense etc..

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

I don't think hate crimes laws say anything about the *value* of the victim..I see them as saying something about the values of the perpitrator.
If I hate someone because they have done something really bad, then to me it's more excusable than if I hate someone just because they are Jewish or Muslim or gay.
If I kill someone kills another because of their skin color I find them a more reprehensable than I find someone who kills out of anger, or self defense etc..

I agree...

 

[Aidensmom]

I would define a hate crime as;

a violent offense commited upon a targeted victim, chosen specifically because of his or her ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual bias.

This is the definition I would use, but I agree with Cool-Beans regarding the concept of Hate Crimes.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I do see another perspective in the "Hate Crime" label. I think it helps in documenting why a crime is committed and in some cases identifies troublesome areas for certain groups. I think THAT is valuable information.

 

[shirleyb]

A crime is a crime, and it should be persecuted to the fullest extent of the law. To add a special tag to the crime because of a person's race/sexual orientation or anything else is insane. It is saying that, that victim's life is more important than that of any other victim.

I agree with you and CoolBeans. Should the punishment be any worse if I murder someone because I don't like the color of you skin than if I murder you because you were my cheating spouse, for instance? Murder is murder.

 

[Bob Slydell]

If I kill someone kills another because of their skin color I find them a more reprehensable than I find someone who kills out of anger, or self defense etc..

More reprehensible? Yes. I would include crimes against children in that group as well.

More punishable? No. You should punish the crime, not the thoughts going through the criminal's mind at the time.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

I agree with you and CoolBeans. Should the punishment be any worse if I murder someone because I don't like the color of you skin than if I murder you because you were my cheating spouse, for instance? Murder is murder.

Not necessarily. There are various types of murder; 1st degree, 2nd degree, manslaughter, etc., each carrying a different sentence based on the killers state of mind, whether or not the murder was planned or accidental, etc.

 

[JennyMominRI]

I believe the intent of a killer is always taken into account when it comes to charges...In most states, Intent, malice aforethought and premeditation are taken in looked at whem deciding what to charge someone with . None of these things have anything to do with the *value* of the victim.

Lets say Mary Jane is killed

In the first scenario Mary jane is killed by Bill who hits her with his car. He wasn't drunk but he was maybe driving to fast..He won't be charged with murder...There was no intent or premedition..You may be able to argue that there was malice involed because he was speeding..He will probably be charged with some form of manslaugher

In the second scenario Mary Jane is killed by her boyfriend in a fit of rage..In most cases because there was no premedition he won't be charged with 1st degree murder,but he may be charged with 2nd degree as you can prove intent(to kill her) and malice

In the 3rd scenario MaryJane is a lesbian an Bills kills her because he hates gay people..Now if he went out looking for a gay person to kill you can probably charge him with 1st degree murder because there is premeditation,intent and malice...If he killed her in a fit of rage because he finds out she is gay he may get second degree murder because he had malice and intent, but not premeditition..
I believe that "hate crime" goes to the intent and malice portion of the charges...I don't believe it has anything to do with the value of Mary Jane .
I'm sure there are some lawyers here that can say how accurate I am

 

[JennyMominRI]

More reprehensible? Yes. I would include crimes against children in that group as well.

More punishable? No. You should punish the crime, not the thoughts going through the criminal's mind at the time.

But the system does not work that way..Many things are looked at to determine the level of the charges..Intent, malice, premedition, mental status, killing someone while comitting another felony, etc. etc. etc.

 

[Cool-Beans]

I don't think hate crimes laws say anything about the *value* of the victim..I see them as saying something about the values of the perpitrator.
If I hate someone because they have done something really bad, then to me it's more excusable than if I hate someone just because they are Jewish or Muslim or gay.
If I kill someone kills another because of their skin color I find them a more reprehensable than I find someone who kills out of anger, or self defense etc..

But what if you didn't? What if society determines that killing Muslims isn't OK, but killing Jews is?

What if society says, "Geez, we really don't like the Jews at all, let's just kill them all off." This is EXACTLY where this kind of thought leads. You can't start punishing people based on WHO they killed and how you feel about the motive or the victim(s). They get punished for the killing.

Deciding who is better or worse to kill is a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad idea. I could have said, "bad" a few more times, but that might have been overkill.

 

[shirleyb]

Not necessarily. There are various types of murder; 1st degree, 2nd degree, manslaughter, etc., each carrying a different sentence based on the killers state of mind, whether or not the murder was planned or accidental, etc.

Correct, however, when I said murder, I was considering 1st degree. Not manslaughter, which could be accidental.