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Exactly, as a kid when someone beat the crap out of me, the fact they hated my guts was a given. I guess since Manson and his freaks killed white people like themselves, hate wasn't a factor in sticking forks in people.

I guess the feeling is that the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment is not sufficient...

Not to do with affirmative action but perhaps more to do with groups that have had a disproportionate amount of violence perpetrated based primarily on the fact they belong to a group...(Gays, immigrants, certain religious and ethnic minorities)...

I guess the position Senator Smith is taking is that hating someone simply because they are of a certain race, religion, sexual orientation, etc has a level of malevolence. The purpose of this legislation is to legislate tolerance. These are the types of protections that a Christian in a Muslim Nation, a white person in an African Nation, a Catholic in a Protestant Country (luck of the Irish), and gays just about every except certain European Nations do not enjoy.

The hate crimes law have good intent... However, (there is always a however) prosecutors and law enforcement spend a lot of time worried about hate crimes when the conventional wisdom is that they should spend time fighting crime and treat it all the same.

It may be another way that this country is trying to atone for historical wrongs...

The real question to me is "Does this legislation deter criminals from doing violence because of the awareness that there are harsher penalties if a hate based motivation can be proven..."

I think about the following statement someone said...

When they came for the Jews, I did not stand up because I am not Jewish.

When the came for the Catholics, I did not stand up because I am not Catholic.
etc....

When they came for me, there was no one left to stand up for me...

I don't give in to the victim's mentality but the question is "Can we assess an additional penalty for what someone thinks?"

If you are a hispanic walking with a caucasian, if you are a white truck driverin South Central Los Angeles during a riot (Reginald Denny), that may be the only comfort and protection you have when you are the minority in a hostile environment...

Good intent but it can get so messed up when implemented...

If you're gonna kill someone, just make sure you tell them that you love them first.