Hate Crimes Are Not Special

[AtheistMommy]

I wanted to share my essay with all of you. Let me know what you think.

 

 

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Hate Crimes Are Not Special

 

 

 

America is known for its diversity. Having such diversity has

both positive and negative effects. For one, not all Americans agree with

such diversity. Prejudice has promoted some Americans to act in, what most

would consider, immoral ways. These acts are referred to as "hate crimes."

Hate crimes, however, are not any more serious than other "crimes of

passion."

 

The main purpose of the hate crime legislation is to protect

minority groups. Generally there are two sides to the debate on hate crime

legislation. Most common argument "A hate crime is unlike any other crime."

On the opposite side we often hear "A crime is a crime." Crimes are not

only graded on intensity, but on motivation. Your motivation often

increases your penalty. For example, an unintended murder will get a lesser

charge than a murder that happened because of infidelity.

 

Hate crimes have sparked movements that have changed our view on

what morality is. Hate is defined as: intense animosity or dislike. Here

is what the law considers a "hate crime"; "a hate crime is a criminal act

in which a victim is selected because of the perpetrator's prejudice against

the victim's race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation

and/or disability (Ponte)." Under the aforementioned definition of "hate,"

rape is a hate crime. However, under "hate crime" laws unless the rape was

done because of the victim's race, sexual orientation, creed, or disability,

the rape would be just another crime. The law doesn't consider hate for

gender a "hate crime."

 

A good example of a hate crime: Martin Luther King Jr was a victim.

Murdered in a hotel room, he was well known, admired and hated for standing

up for black American rights. President Lincoln, another victim of a hate

crime. Shot in the back of the head while at a theater, he was loved,

admired and hated because he didn't follow the majority. Slavery seemed

wrong to him. John Lennon was the victim of a hate crime. Shot while

onstage, he, too, was loved, admired and hated. Hated because he saw the

world much differently than most and felt he had to say it though his music.

Of course there are plenty of other victims who were never known who died

and/or were victimized by those who hated them for some reason or another.

 

It wasn't until 1990 that Congress started passing legislation to help

prevent hate crimes starting with the "Hate Crime Statistics Act of 1990."

Next was the "Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996." The last one to pass

was the "Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 1999." Until this time no one

kept record of recorded hate crimes. In fact the number is 15% higher then

FBI statistics reflect, according to a new government report.

 

About 44% of hate crimes don't make it into the FBI statistics for many

reasons. These reasons include not accurately being reported, police

failing to record crimes, and some police departments may not report hate

crimes. Data shows that 84% of hate crimes were violent in some manner.

Non-hate crimes make up only 23% of all crimes.

 

Although a "hate crime" may be harsh and considered immoral by

some, it is no different from any other crime. Some studies have suggested

that hate crimes are somehow harder on the victim. Exactly how do you make

worse, worse? If you are victimized, regardless of why, is it not going to

have the same effect? Under the hate crime legislation, two people who have

committed the same crime will receive two different sentences because of

this legislation if one of them is found as having committed their crime out

of hate. Taking that fact into consideration and adding that "hate crimes"

don't include all hate, this makes the legislation unfair.

 

Being not only a woman and a minority, but also an Atheist, I

have some experience with hate crimes. A few months ago someone was

scratching up my license plates. A few years before this I had a note left

on my car when I parked at a local grocery store. People have made several

comments while driving by me, the most famous one being "Jesus loves you!"

in a very threatening tone. There is the added danger of people cutting me

off while on the freeway. This is a ploy to get in front of me in order to

show off some bumper sticker that shows their religion's supremacy. I often

wonder if they think it's moral to put my children in danger just because

they don't agree with what I don't believe in. All this happens because I've

exercised my freedom of speech and personalized my license plate to say

"UNBLVR" meaning unbeliever. Before that, no one knew I was an Atheist.

Not surprisingly, I could not find any statistics on hate crimes committed

against Atheists. One reason why may be that there is no word for

discrimination against people without religious beliefs. Another is that

fear motivates many nonbelievers to stay silent about the abuse.

 

So, armed with first hand experience and having done research, I

say to you this; in order for this legislation to work it would have to

include all hate crime. Under the legislation as it is now, hate crimes are

just a mere way to control people, punishing them for their thoughts instead

of their actions. Hate crimes are no more special than crimes committed out

of love, fear, or indifference; because to say they are is to give one

emotion more power than all others. Until we brainwash everyone and make

them think alike, we cannot control people by mere laws.

 

I haven't gotten a grade yet.

[♦ nivek ♦]

AM,

 

Well penned and met.

 

kL

[AtheistMommy]

AM, that was awesome and not only that but what a coincidence. Last night my husband I spoke about hate crimes and we totally concur with what you wrote.

 

You wrote a terrific essay. Major points were hit upon, you presented your side, statistics, etc. The ONLY thing I could possibly see as diminishing points is the last paragraph, it doesn't flow with the rest of the essay. While reading, my attention was captured until I came to that paragraph, then I was like "where does this fit in?" When I'm thinking 'hate crime', I'm thinking 'violence'.

 

Your last paragraph is VERY well-written but would be better off in an essay about Christianity and it's hypocrisy. However, that is only my opinion and depending on the teacher grading you, it may be fine as it stands.

 

Thank you, the last paragraph is supposed to be a mixture of forecast and clincher. It's the way my english teacher wanted the essay written. I really didn't know what else to say. Besides that I may have gotten carried away with the whole "hate crime" on Atheists thing.

 

AM,

 

Well penned and met.

 

kL

 

Thank you