Attack in Pontiac leaves one nearly dead

[Shelley]

I think that hate crimes are a special category because they involve an indescriminant act against someone not as an act retaliation or out of greed but purely because the person represents something that the perpetrator doesn't like or believe in. These crimes instill fear in particular sectors of society just by their nature.

I understand what is being said about crimes being crimes and if you do the crime you do the time. The thing with hate crimes is the fact that for the perpetrator there can be no perceived gain and therefore no actual reason for comitting it other than hate. Unlike some other crimes like robbery it is the physical nature of these assaults that has our emotions flowing such as the rape of a stranger or acts against an individual for reasons of race, gender or sexual preference etc.

Shelley

[beth]

       Extra penalties for hate crimes are necessary. There is a difference between assault that is random and assault that is caused by a hatred of a certain race or gender identity. Everyone knows there are places you do not walk at night, we can avoid them, There are things like flipping someone off in traffic that might result in assault and we can avoid them, wearing expensive jewelry in certain places will result in robbery, we can avoid that. How do we avoid who we are?

Is it a deterant?  I doubt it but if it adds 5 years to the sentence and that saves one person from suffering the same fate it is well worth it.

beth

[Shelley]

That's my point exactly Beth,

And I totally agree it may not be a deterant before the crime but I would have thought it had potential to be so against reoffending and as you so rightly say at least the perpetrator is of the streets for longer.

Shelley

[Valerie]

Good points, girls....

A hate crime isn't as random as one committed out of anger, jealously, or greed. 

Jealous ex-boyfriend slays the new boyfriend is different than 'I can't stand _______________ (fill n the blank) and next time I see one I'm gonna' kick the #%$ oiut of him/her.' 

Hate crimes are committed by people who lie in wait for someone they loathe to cross their path, so they can take the opportunity to do some damage. In worst cases, they seek out members of the 'offending' group.

I would like to think that more severe sentencing for hate crimes would act as a deterrent for future acts, but that would only be possible if the perpetrators knew without a doubt why their sentence was more severe.  Even so, if someone is going to hate, they are going to hate, and may only find a way of hurting members of their targeted group so that it appears to be motivated by other factors.

Most prisons were not designed to be rehabilitative, which I believe is one of the reasons recidivism is abundant.  And depending on exactly which group(s) the assailant is attacking, the atmosphere in most prisons has the potential to exacerbate the hate, or even to inspire hate where once there was none. 

That's not to say I would in any way condone it, but to point out that atmosphere does have influence on certain people. 

Just my two cents' worth,
Valerie