Last Wednesday, President Obama signed a bill into law which adds acts of violence against disabled, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender folks to the list of federal hate crimes. This increases coverage of the federal hate crimes protections which previously only included race, religion, and national origin. In typical Obama euphoria, activists instantaneously proclaimed the measure to be the most important since the civil rights acts empowering blacks were passed in the 1960s.
Of course, those of us with clearer, less emotional heads on our shoulders know that hate crime legislation is nothing more than politicians pandering to their base of support by providing them with a special interest perk in an effort to energize that base for widespread support in the next election.
Now, maybe that is a little cynical or I am just resentful because I personally do not fall into any of the “protected” categories. I am from the United States, nominally Christian, white, and a middle aged man. Now, this is not a knock against folks who are not what I am. As a matter of fact, I have chosen to live a lifestyle that places me in a small minority of the population of the places where I live. Thus, I consider myself very tolerant. The point is that in essence hate crime protection places a greater importance on some lives over others. More resources will be spent to pursue a murderer that killed another simply because the victim was gay or black or from Haiti. The offender could spend more time in jail because his crime was motivated by the sexual orientation, ethnicity or religion of the victim. We have totally politicized the criminal justice system and thrown equal protection under the law out the window by affording special protections to some groups and not others.
Article comments
1 - Christine
...if someone kills you you're just as dead regardless if it was an act of passion, greed, revenge or hate. True...dead is dead.
Hatred motivated by political speech is not covered under federal hate crimes protection. Should it be? That is to funny! We may need it these days. lol
2 - Kith
You say you are not a protected group but you are protected on all three of your claims.
You are White (race: protected group), Christan (religion: protected group), male (sex: protected group). So if someone beat you up, defaced your property, stole from you, because you where White, Christan or Male or any other combination of the above you case would/could be considered for hate crime extension.
I think what you actually said was "I am not one of the groups usually targeted for hate crimes, having the privilege of being born White, Male and Christan."
3 - Kenn Jacobine
Kith,
You are right. But, there are people who hate white people and middle aged white men but the bleeding hearts in DC don't care if I get gunned down because of that since I am not a member of an historically abused group. It is just a bad way to categorize crimes.
4 - Arch Conservative
Kenn you're going to have to take it up with Obama's thought police czar and I don't think I'm going out on a limb when I say you won't be well received.