[Arthalion]

Who brought race into this? I disagree with hate crimes laws because they draw an ARTIFICIAL distinction between victims based on race, which should be legally irrelevant. What we're talking about here are increased punishments for those who take advantage of the weak and otherwise helpless. Children. Elderly. The disabled. People who are incapable of defending themselves, and in many cases who may not even understand that they're being victimized. It takes a sick mind to become a criminal in the first place, but those who turn their crime against societies helpless are sicker than most. They deserve increased punishment.

There's a difference between recognizing genuine differences within the population, and creating artificial ones for political expediency.

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

Who brought children into this? If you read the article it is about two perfectly healthy adult males who were fighting. One will be charged because he fought with an adult over a certain age. Obviously they were not frail, weak, or incapable of defending themselves. Laws giving special rights to adults regarding assault, based on age, race, sex, or other, are ridiculous. They create a superior class, more worthy that others.