Quote:
Originally Posted by shinerbock
On a side note, hate crime legislation is stupid.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS
Of course it is when heterosexual white males are the least likely group to be targeted because of hate.
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Although I don't think I'd use the word "stupid," I tend to agree with shinerbock on this one. That is, I don't see much point in a separate classification for a "hate crime."
Most jurisdictions already have a system of aggravating and mitigating factors that are used to heighten or lesses punishment for a crime. To me, it makes more sense and is overall more consistent with criminal laws in general to make racial (or gender, or religious, or whatever) hatred an aggravating factor -- "that the crime was motivated by racial [or whatever else] hatred" -- rather than to charge someone for assault or murder and also charge them with a hate crime.
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