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Until you walk a mile in the shoes of a person who has been persecuted because he is different, you may not be that understanding of the fact that he may need a little more protection than you

No, still don't agree. First of all, how do you know that I haven't been persecuted against or people haven't been cruel to me because of perceived differences? Second, NO ONE deserves MORE protection than others. And for you to trot out Shepard's name when so many innocent children have been molested, raped and tortured by homosexuals is rather shameless. So by your logic the young boy who was tortured and murdered by two homosexuals is not a "hate crime" victim, just a regular victim.

If the laws against assault, murder and other harm are enforced properly, everyone is protected equally. And to make unconstitutional laws to make up for PAST harm is not only patently stupid, it creates another generation of injustice.

I do not know you and therefore I concede that you may have been persecuted for differences...It is never my intent to make anyone's pain appear insignificant...

By the way, as a person with children, I can assure you that the child labor laws which were designed to stop the terrible conditions children were forced to live in during the time that Upton Sinclair published "The Jungle", the laws which protect children from abuse from their parents, the laws which give child actors better financial protection, the laws that make statutory rape a crime, Megan's law which requires notification to a community of those who have committed sex crimes against children, the Amber Alerts which place the safe return of children that are in danger of being sexually abused....I thank God for all of these laws... I have called the police to go to my children's home in TX because my daughter was talking to me on the phone and it went dead...I could not get her back on the line...I called the police and they were more than happy to go and perform a "Welfare Check"...

I am not sure what you mean when you say "past wrongs"... I thought we have laws that allow us to bring to court any perceived injustices and allow a jury to decide if there is a need for corrective action... We do have a tradition in this country of taking responsibility when we have made a mistake and trying to make things right... We don't have to overdo it but I do think that is how we have done things as a society...

Regarding the homosexuals who have mistreated or abused children, I would never even try to defend such behavior and I think there are sex offender laws that deal with these individuals very well... However, if children are not adequately protected, I would be the first to suggest that laws need to be passed to provide the necessary protection...

I guess that one's perception of a need to correct past wrongs depends on which end of the injustice you were on...

One thing that you do bring up that is interesting...Is it a hate crime when two athletic or well armed homosexuals commit an offense (murder, rape, etc) and the primary reason behind the attack is because they just want to pay back someone who is part of group that they feel has persecuted them...

I would say that there is an added level of malevelonce if a gay person would get together with several of his friends and beat the crap out of a young heterosexual couple that is doing nothing but taking a walk and minding it's own business... I would consider that a hate crime... The problem is that whatever the law is, we all have to follow them and you are absolutely correct that there needs to be equal application and enforcement of the law...

Two edged sword...but fair...

I would be willing to concede that there is no need for hate crimes legislation...

If you would be willing to concede that we are a long way off from equal enforcement of the law...

I noticed you said
"If the laws against assault, murder and other harm are enforced properly, everyone is protected equally. "

Let me know when that happens...I will be waiting very patiently... I have the feeling it may not happen before my 50th birthday... I would love to be wrong about this...