Quote:
Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS
Exactly but the research that has been done has controlled for a number of factors that contribute to crime reduction. These studies are inconsistent in their findings but are leaning toward there being NO substantive deterrent effect.
Are you tempted to murder or become a street level drug dealer and don't do so because there are laws against it. Do you want to commit assaults and robberies? If not, you're the average American who is a law abiding citizen when it comes to almost all forms of crime. Not necessarily JUST because of the laws but because we're socialized based on order rather than disorder.
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Yeah, I agree for the most part, however people like me and you are probably more likely to be against things like theft and violence on principle alone than the average person.
However, when you get to other crimes, hit and runs (cars not people), driving under the influence, drug use, things of that nature I think are deterred by laws.
I see this is diverting substantially from the original topic. I'll conclude by saying I simply don't see that hate crime legislation furthers any stated purpose. You mentioned the law as a way to maintain order, and I agree, but I don't see that hate crime legislation would help do that. We already punish for those crimes, so I fail to see how harsher punishment would serve a purpose other than deterrence (not that it would actually deter).