How a community can fight hate (Ithaca barf alert)

The Ithaca Journal ^ | Wednesday, July 31, 2002 | Joseph Smith

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Someone in the community has been targeted due to a core characteristic of her identity that cannot be changed.

When people in our community fear being assaulted because of who they are, the color of their skin, or who they love it can be a dangerous thing. Hate and bias-related crimes pose unique challenges for victims, law enforcement, criminal justice professionals and the media. The nature of hate and bias crimes threatens our quality of life and detrimentally affects the victim and indeed the entire community. This is why these crimes require a heightened sensitivity from the media and criminal justice professionals.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

The nature of hate and bias crimes threatens our quality of life and detrimentally affects the victim and indeed the entire community. This is why these crimes require a heightened sensitivity from the media and criminal justice professionals.

The author's attempt to draw some sort of distinction here between "hate" crimes and "regular" crimes is ludicrously false. Every single crime is, in fact, a crime on the theory that the act has a detrimental effect on society as a whole. This is why, for example, crimes are prosecuted in the name of "The People of the State..." and not the victim. Even so called "victimless" crimes are considered crimes precisely because they allegedly "threaten our quality of life and detrimentally affect... the entire community." This is just one more example of how these crimes are really thought crimes.

As for the author's "ten step plan" to fight hate crime, is it just me, or is this plan, with its "community reaction team" and "anonymous tipsters" even more draconian that President Bush's "Homeland Security" plans that these liberals constantly warn us about?

Of course, as I said once before, at the way things are going in Ithaca, the City of Evil, thought crime will be the only crime.

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[Behind Liberal Lines]

City of Evil/Hate Crime bump

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Good point about the hypocrisy of the liberals demanding anonymous tipsters to fight hate crimes, while bemoaning W's call for similar measures to fight terrorism.

Note also that the author calls for punishment of "hate crimes" based on someone's "core characteristic of her identity that cannot be changed."

But why should that be the standard? What if the "core characteristic" is not something that "cannot be changed" but results, for example, from the exercise of a person's constitutional rights?

For example, what if, in very liberal Ithaca, someone were to be assaulted for being a vociferous conservative or Republican? Wouldn't hatred be just as much the motive as in the case of an attack based on race or sexual orienatation? Of course, yet no hate crime legislation of which I'm aware would apply. Why?

I would consider all hate crime legislation unconstitutional, since it essentially creates thought crimes. But the hypocrisy and double standards are also so blatant.

[copycat]

Criminals should be punished for their ACTIONS, not their thoughts, feelings, or emotions. This slippery slope leads us to a place where one could envision a future where individuals are punished solely for their thoughts without having ever taken any criminal action.

[tcostell]

Liberals will stop at nothing in their attempts to end thought crimes. (Regular crimes are fine, ... in fact in some cases like perjury, even encouraged, but thought crimes have to end NOW.)

Makes you proud to be an Amerikan.

[gaspar]

Note the irony, the author is a Joseph Smith. I believe Mormons who know Cornell well understand that if they were dying of thirst in downtown Ithaca they could expect only a teaspoon of spit from that pack of treehuggers.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

I completely agree. If a "regular" assault is punished by one year, and a "hate crime" assault punished by two years, aren't we effectively making hate a "thought crime" punishable by one year?

[Behind Liberal Lines]

This slippery slope leads us to a place where one could envision a future where individuals are punished solely for their thoughts without having ever taken any criminal action.

That day is approaching faster than you think.

Look at the case of the girl who is suing her school because it violated her free speech rights to criticize homosexuality during a diversity program.

And in Ithaca, the School District has mandated that elementary school students in the first and second grades be graded on how well they "respect others of varying cultures, genders, experiences, and abilities." It's even listed on the schools' report card.

Ithaca is the City of Evil.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

"...a core characteristic of her identity that cannot be changed." ***And this "unchangability" is relevent how?

Because then they can criminalize opposition to homosexuality, of course.

[Soaring Feather]

City of Evil/Hate Crime bump

Oh my gosh, this is so sick!

[general_re]

Well, I was going to toss in my two cents about hate crimes after reading this, but I see you gents have effectively covered everything I'd have put in. Well said ;)

"City of Hate Crimes" bump...

[mafree]

bump