Hate Crime Legislation is sooo Useful
This is just a quickie (hat tip to Dr. Helen), but believe it or not, after what was clearly a racially motivated attack (the legal concept of a guilty mind is often inferred from statements made by the perpetrator), the Akron Police can’t seem to bring themselves to classify it as a hate-crime… Astonishing.
Akron police say they aren’t ready to call it a hate crime or a gang initiation.
But to Marty Marshall, his wife and two kids, it seems pretty clear.
It came after a family night of celebrating America and freedom with a fireworks show at Firestone Stadium. Marshall, his family and two friends were gathered outside a friend’s home in South Akron.
Out of nowhere, the six were attacked by dozens of teenage boys, who shouted ”This is our world” and ”This is a black world” as they confronted Marshall and his family.
Yes, all of the boys were black. The father spent several days in the critical care unit after trying to protect his wife and kids. Interesting reading.
Cheers!
A few thoughts on “hate crime” legislation:
1) If the criminal justice system is racist, as many claim it is, because it incarcerates blacks at a higher rate than whites, then it appears ‘hate crime’ legislation must be racist by the same token due to the ridiculous disparity in the number of prosecutions (http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/hatecm.htm#bias), right?
2) By labeling certain crimes as ‘hate crimes’ we’re saying non-hate crimes aren’t as bad. So if I go out and dismember a 4 year-old girl slowly over 3 days, it’s not as bad as clubbing a black man in the head and shouting the n-word. They’re both murder, but one is a ‘hate crime’ and needs that little extra oomph for prosecution.
3) The First Amendment. Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech… I should be able to say whatever the hell I want while assaulting someone. The assault is the crime, but possessing ideas and speaking my opinion while in the commission of it.
Hate crime legislation is simply an attempt to control ideas and limit speech. It was passed by guilty consciences to raise up a stereotyped cartoon of downtrodden masses. It’s race law.
@Jeff
Using justice system statistics blindly (or even with deliberate or “well meaning” deception) does produce some ridiculous claims. Another for instance: it is commonly claimed that the criminal justice system is racist because although blacks are only about 13% of the population, almost half of death row inmates are black. Whites are a little over half of death row inmates. At first blush this might indicate racism; however, there are other explanations…
For example, perhaps blacks make up almost half of death row inmates because blacks (6463 in 2007) commit more murders than whites (5278 in 2007). It seems that this explanation does better than most to explain a disparity – if only we could learn that disparities do not necessarily equal discrimination. I agree with you on all three points.
A friend I’ll call John, contacted me by email on this post and wrote the following:
“I really think it’s an attempt by lawmakers to make it look like they’re doing something about a problem, regardless of whether it really helps. When the next election comes up, they can say that they’re fighting for minority rights without really doing anything.”
I tend to agree with both you – it’s a vile attempt to “control ideas and limit speech,” while developing political capital as a bonus. Unfortunately, it is succeeding.
Cheers.