Oh, noes!! How will we ever be able to keep racism alive, then? A look at hate crime convictions by state - ABC News
It's hard to get hit with a hate crime enhancement charge, and harder to prove in court. Not surprised there are so few convictions.
It should be hard, it's absolutely moronic to classify things as hate crimes and pretend they're harder on the victims than the regular version of the crime.
Not surprised at all, just another example of politicians creating another BS 'feel good' law that doesn't produce positive effects.
Hang on, someone saying the dissuasive nature of punishment have no effect on crime? No way dude! That's capital nonsense!....
100% correct. Hate crime statutes represent the successful implementation of thought policing. You can get charged additionally if you were thinking something some believe you shouldn't when you commit an act rather than simply being charged for the act. The idea that punishing someone greater for what they are thinking will somehow effect how people think is nonsense.
Made up BS. It's on the same level of stupid as men "identifying" as women and all of sudden people start calling him a she.
Hate Crime charges require documented words and/or actions of the perpertrators while or immediately before/after they commit the crime. In court, you need to show animus to get a conviction. Thought policing it is not. And before you get your tighty whities all in a bunch, I agree that the bar for pressing hate crime charges by a prosecutor should be high.
If what you described is not evidence of what someone was thinking (animus), what do you think it is? an·i·mus ˈanəməs/ noun 1. hostility or ill feeling. "the author's animus toward her" 2. motivation to do something. "the reformist animus came from within the Party"
Again, intent is what is in one's mind ergo: thought. Sorry, can't get around that. Just because some (or many) would like to change how people think or feel about certain groups does not make it okay to add criminal punishments for have those feelings or thought while committing a crime. I realize those in those groups would like to think that somehow it will cause a change in the actions but, it is still punishing what is in ones mind.
True but to me, that is problematic. Punishment should be based on what is fact, which means actions only. Once you begin to punish for psyche you get into a very gray area with a lot of room for interpretation and abuse.