Montrovant
Fuzzy bears!
All violent crimes involve hatred.
No. If someone pushes me over and steals my pockebook, that isn't a hate crime.
If someone beats me black and blue because i am walking into a synagogue, that is a hat crime. See the difference.
We prosecute crimes differently all the time... based on who the victim is. And, frankly, I've never understood how some think that if you beat someone because they're gay or black or jewish or muslim that that's just the same as if you beat up someone who hit on your girlfriend at a bar.
I'll also point out that there aren't generally packs of people beating up guys in bars for hitting on their girlfriends. There are, however, groups that do go out to victimize others because of their own insane hatred.
I find it interesting how you differentiate your examples. For the non-hate crime, you are pushed over and robbed. In the hate crime, you are beaten black and blue.
What if someone beats you black and blue and steals your pocketbook? Should that person receive a lesser sentence because they don't hate you?
What if someone beats you black and blue for no discernible reason?
The whole concept of greater sentences for hate crimes seems to me to somewhat trivialize the suffering of those who are victims of crimes not designated hate crimes. Of course, I also think people should be free to hate whomever they please. If they act on that hatred and do something illegal, we already have laws in place to deal with that. Hate crime legislation appears to me to be just another political ploy to appear 'tough on crime' or something similar.