Saturday, January 10, 2009

The Dangers Of Hate-Hunting

Lorne Gunter questions the concept of "hate crimes" in his National Post article:
If you believe the Criminal Code should be amended to make it easier for police to charge suspects with hate crimes, then you must believe there exists a hierarchy of hate; all hate is equally bad, but some hate is equally worse than others.
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Take for instance the husband who murders his wife (or the wife who murders her husband) because he has come to hate everything about her. He is so thoroughly disgusted by the way she talks, the way she chews, by her family and her constant belittling of his lack of career success that his loathing drives him to kill her.

Then consider the racist who has become so consumed by his hatred of Jews, Muslims, blacks, aboriginals or even whites that he bludgeons to death a member of the group he despises.

Is the second murder worse than the first? Is the victim in the former less dead because the hatred that led to his or her killing was personal rather than political?
Lorne Gunter's reasoning is similar to the one I used in my article on "hate crimes" over a year ago. And while Lorne's article concentrates more on a possibility of 'having human rights commissioners with guns, badges and the power to arrest and lay charges', he too notices the political motives behind the concept of "hate crimes", rightfully stating that it is third-party interests that hate-crimes laws serve the most.
Victims and society can receive full justice if existing Criminal Code prohibitions against murder and assault are used to put criminals away for a long time. It is really only special interests who are unsatisfied unless and until the political component is punished, too.
If Lorne looked further into the political aspect of the issue he would notice the inconsistence in this whole concept of hate crimes. First - this is the only kind of crimes for which the "progressive" crowd wants tougher penalties. And then - somehow the concept of "hate crimes" doesn't apply if the same hate-driven crimes are committed against people who don't happen to belong to any of the designated victims groups.
Anyone heard of this serious hate crime that left a Christian pastor near death?
A Christian pastor in Loma Linda, Calif., was beaten and left in critical condition while decorating his church.
I see that FOX News's website today carries a story about a rape of a lesbian, in which a big deal is made of the hatefulness of this crime. But what about the near-murder of the man who was attacked for being Christian? Is this less newsworthy? Are homosexuals first-class and Chrsitians second-class?
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I wonder who the hateful vandals and attackers are? Will we be informed when they're caught? Will their sexual orientation be mentioned? It should be, because if a Christian was caught torching a gay bar, the media would certainly mention his religion, no doubt!
Interesting isn't it? And with all the "hate speech" battles we had throughout the last year, with everything we've found out about freedom-snatching tribunals (ironically named as "human rights commissions") could there be any doubts that "hate crime" laws are there to enforce and perpetuate the radical leftist social engineering?

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