Based on what???
It's clearly a hate crime. The insults ought to be enough to convict by themselves.
“hate crime” charge
"Based on what???"
Based on that these thugs were out looking for a soldier to beat up because he is a soldier.
Now, I'm not a big fan of the hate crime consideration when determining jail sentences, but in the liberal NW that is the only way these thugs will get the maximum jail time and little sympathy.
Every violent crime is a crime of hate. The issue has become, if you hate someone for a certain reason you deserve a stiffer penalty because that person is a member of a "special group" and has greater worth to society. It is very similar to ancient times, when nobles were considered special and crimes against them were considered more heinous and deserved more severe punishment then crimes against the members of the masses.
Send the chicken shiit antiwar punks to my house for a day of fun and festivities. Guaranteed to change their minds.