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Do you support hate crime legislation?

I understand the purpose behind the law is to address the vicious assualts on individuals due to hatered of an idea or group. However, it seems to me that its more of an attempt to redirect thinking through coersion rather than persuasion. If two people are killed, one because of greed and the other because they are gay, I don't think that one is more important than the other just because the killing is directed at an idea. Also, if the purpose of hate legislation is to establish equality, doesn't it make one death unequal to the other in importance? So, they should be equal in life, but unequal in death?

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0 Views: 448 Answers: 1 Posted: 11 years ago

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Colleen

Karma: 2042400

The idea of the hate crime law is to try and limit deaths due to prejudice. These types of killings are typically more brutal in nature than your run of the mill murder due to greed. Many of the victims of hate crimes are tortured first before being killed. There are also more murders committed due to hate born of prejudice than murders due to greed. Should all murder sentences be equal? Yes but due to our judicial system and plea bargains and early release, they never will be.

11 years ago. Rating: 1
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bigben

I guess you're right because almost none of my friends agree with me and most of them say similar things to your response. Maybe I inject too much emotion in the wrong direction when I get angry at what seems to me to be discounting the importance of someone killed in a more common premeditated method. To me, it seems that a murder is the most heinous act imaginable because that person has robbed someone of the most precious gift, life. While hate crimes are usually more violent and brutal, they are both dead and their friends and families suffer the same despair.

commented 11 years ago

Colleen

You have to remember too that the hate crime bill covers more than just murder.

commented 11 years ago

bigben

Thats true. I tend to focus on a tributary and miss the river.

commented 11 years ago