According to FBI statistics, America has a continuing problem with crimes. In fact, those crimes rose nearly 8% last year. In 2005, 7,163 hate crimes were reported in this country. In 2006, that number rose to 7,722 -- a jump of 7.8%.
More than half (51.8%) of these crimes were racially motivated. The Rev. Al Sharpton said, "The FBI report confirms what we have been saying for many months about the severe increase in hate crimes. What is not reported, however, is the lack of prosecution and serious investigation by the Justice Department to counter this increase in hate crimes." Sharpton called for new Attorney General Mukasey to meet with civil rights groups to discuss federal action to curb the hate crimes.
Another 15.5% of the crimes were aimed at gays and lesbians. Sexual orientation is a growing target of hate crimes. That is why we must include sexual orientation as a catagory of hate crimes. Sadly, this is a catagory of hate that is encouraged by many in the religious community, especially fundamentalist christian and muslim congregations.
A third group of hate crimes is aimed at religion. This compromises about 18.9% of the crimes. Another 12.7% is aimed at ethnic or national origins. The backlash from the 9/11 attacks has caused crimes against these groups to increase.
I can understand why a person's actions could cause someone to dislike them. After all, we can control our own actions, and must be responsible for them. But how can a person hate another for a reason they had no control over? No one can control their race, sex, national origin, color or sexual orientation. It takes a pretty sick and depraved person to hate another person because of reasons like this.
The problem is actually larger than the 7,722 crimes listed by the FBI. These statistics are based on reported hate crimes, but many police departments don't report how many of their crimes were hate-based.
There are those who don't believe that hate-based crimes should be singled out for special punishment. I don't agree. These crimes are particularly vile, and will not be stopped by ignoring their cause. Hate crimes deserve and should receive special treatment.
From the report: 59% of hate crimes were by whites (80% of the total population), but 21% were by blacks (12% of the population). Who hates who more?
ReplyDelete"but many police departments don't report how many of their crimes were hate-based"
ReplyDeletePerhaps because they cannot read minds.
dsf-
ReplyDeleteI don't know "who hates more", but by your own statistics most hate crimes are committed by whites.
hf-
you don't have to read any minds to recognize a hate crime.
So...if you are going to increase the severity of the punishment for a hate crime, how do you prove a hate crime vs an ordinary crime? Does the victim have to be a racial/religious/other minority group? Also, if someone commits a murder that is also considered a hate crime and they are sentnced to life in prison without parole, what extra punishment is accessed for the "hate" part of the crime? If they are sentenced to death (BTW, I oppose the death penalty), what extra price do they pay for the "hate" part of the crime?
ReplyDeleteThe problem is actually larger than the 7,722 crimes listed by the FBI.
ReplyDeleteYou are very right as for every hate based crime committed by White's against blacks there are about 10 committed by blacks against White's. The latter rarely charged and almost never reported.
All know about Duke Lacrosse, but how many have heard about this-http://www.sullivan-county.com/wcva/liberal_racism.htm-
The link goes on to describe many other such crimes where the black is protected and the white vilified. All the facts on this link are easily verified.
There is a problem alright. But the problem is not lack of hate laws, but truth in the media.
You're just trying to confuse the issue CT. You know very well that most crimes, including most cross-racial crimes, are not hate crimes. Stay on topic.
ReplyDeleteIt is indisputable that most cross racial crime is not hate related. Obviously the poor will commit more crime against those that have than those that have not. About 90% being minority on White.
ReplyDeleteBut I really can't see how the truth, is off topic when the facts absolutely show black on white hate crimes to be far in excess of the opposite.
Each case presented in the link provided contained indisputable proof of each incident being hate related. Each can be followed to testimony in court of repeated racial slurs being directed at the white victim by the black perpetrator.
Take the part about James Byrd for instance http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_William_King#The_Perpetrators
Much in this case is hidden by the press. John King and Byrd were in Prison at the same time. King the primary instigator in the killing of Byrd was a small man and had been gang raped by blacks in prison and claimed that Byrd had participated in the rape, his motive being revenge, yet he was prevented from using this in his court trial. This case was reported on endlessly in the national press.
Just a few weeks later Ken Tillery http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Tillery
Suffered the same fate at the hands of 3 black men who admitted in was retaliation for Byrd, along with robbery but not a word said in the National press. None of the perpetrators received the death penalty as did King in the Byrd case.
Again it was the same in all the cases outlined in my original link. All obviously hate crimes none charged as such.
The fact is that the press covers up black on white hate crime, while greatly magnifying White on Black crime and distorting the hate crime figures. This is no where off topic unless of course your goal is to cover up truth.