Hate Crimes Deserve A more Severe Punishment?

#1

Do you believe people who commit a hate crime deserve a more severe punishment?

Bot · #2

Well, what's the current punishment for a hate crime?

#3

From what I know, there isn't one.

Maybe I should rephrase the question.

Do you think their should be a more severe punishment for a crime if it is done out of hate of their race, religion, etc. (which is a hate crime)?

#4

Sort of mixed feelings on this. Yes, hate crimes are terrible and something should be done about them. But I'm not sure that tacking on an extra 5, 10, 20 years to a sentence is the way to go.

Hate crimes are born out of ignorance (we've all heard the bits) so education would seem to be the way to go, but how do you educate someone who's been essentially brainwashed in this hate all his/her life? I don't know that you can do it on a large scale. It has to be one on one with the understanding slowly growing and the hate slowly dying. Not the most optimal method of eradicating these crimes, but probably the most effective.

#5

No.

Our laws in the US do not allow for this preferential treatment for motive. it is complete bullshit. crime is crime, and the reason you do it is your motive.

is a person who mugs a white person because they probably have more money being prejudice, absolutely. do they see extra sentencing. no.

if a person is guilty of assault, you sentence them fairly. If you go out of your way to protect a specific race, it will just bring more animosity their way.

This is America, and you actually have the right to be a bigot, a homophobe, a racist, and even just a generally unpleasant person.
You however, do not have the right to engage in criminal activity against ANYONE for ANY Motive.

Now application of education for preventing certain crimes based on certain motives one thing.

but stricter penalities for any reason other than the severity of the crime is ridiculous and unconstitutional.

#6

^^what he said

Bot · #7

QUOTE(deepdiver32073)Sort of mixed feelings on this. Yes, hate crimes are terrible and something should be done about them. But I'm not sure that tacking on an extra 5, 10, 20 years to a sentence is the way to go.

Hate crimes are born out of ignorance (we've all heard the bits) so education would seem to be the way to go, but how do you educate someone who's been essentially brainwashed in this hate all his/her life? I don't know that you can do it on a large scale. It has to be one on one with the understanding slowly growing and the hate slowly dying. Not the most optimal method of eradicating these crimes, but probably the most effective.

I don't know how well education would work. I mean, shit, you'd think the Holocaust would be enough to teach people, but we still have people spreading hate. The leader of Iran called the Holocaust a myth for crying out loud.

Education, tougher sentences, I don't think it really matters. I don't think we'll ever get rid of hate.

#8

If someone killed a member of my family (including our dog), then I'd definitely kill them, in fact, I would mutilate them to a pulp and then disintegrate the remains.

And yes I probably would use a chainsaw... :tcm:

I know that I would have commited criminal activity, but to me that does not factor in this particular situation. This isn't just being tricked by a dodgy deal or something like that, this is an EXTREME sitatuon.

They in essence killed ME, so they should suffer, between my two bare hands (and a chainsaw and gelignite & acid).
In this situation I would not care for the legal system, as I honestly would kill any person that got in my way, or otherwise die in the process. And I would continue to pursue the death of that mongrel forevermore..........

#9

Actually now I have just thought of something.

As a way of closure, and "getting back" at a criminal for a hate crime (such as murder of a family member), the relations of the victim are permitted to witness the execution of the criminal.

I don't think that is enough. A criminal of a horrendous hate crime, should be imprisoned but no executed. Relations of the victim would be permitted to torture the criminal under controlled supervised conditions, over acute & chronic periods of time (preferably chronic so there would be higher levels of pschological effects and prolonged suffering).
They cannot directly kill the criminal via the torture, but add to the onset of a slow, painful death.

If they kill the criminal outside of those conditions, then they will be punished for murder.

#10

Pete, you don't seem to understand what "Hate Crime" is.

Hate crime is the notion that a person's skin color, ethnicity, sexual preference, or some other similar characteristic is the motive for the crime commited against them.

such a malarky as certain people who would *never* attack people, unless they were gay. or black. or wore white shoes after labour day. or whatever.

plain and simple, this is the same exact notion as a "mo" for a serial killer. Like the guy who strangles college girls with "blonde hair and glasses." This is a way to catch him, not a cause for a more serious sentencing.

One could argue a person who could typify others through prejudice are less likely to appreciate the rights of others, and more likely to see less of a problem with violating their rights, persons, or worse. Which is why education is important...

but if you go out of your way to apply more severe sentences to certain demographics, you lend weight to the notion that "the govt. protects all them damn .... like they're something special."