Re: Hate Crime Legislation
 

Does it matter? Terrorists commit crime from hate. No?

Re: Hate Crime Legislation
 

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Does it matter? Terrorists commit crime from hate. No?

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Yes it matters. Yes terrorists commit crimes from hate. I still don't support making motivation a factor in defining a crime. Using motive as an aid in proving a case is fine IMO.

Re: Hate Crime Legislation
 

Please expand.

Do you think terrorist murder is not a hate crime? Or is it a hate crime but not the hate crime of a KKK member on a minority? What is the difference?

Should there be special laws to deal with terrorist attackers when they are arrested? Alleged terrorists should be handled differently then alleged baby killers? Suspected terrorists should be guilty until proven innocent?

Re: Hate Crime Legislation
 

In California, we have a "special circumstances" provision, such that murders committed under those special circusmtances are subject to different, more severe, penalties than those than are not.

One of the special circumstances is the murder of a peace officer. Should one be punished differently for murdering a policeman than for murdering, say, a teacher? Or a plumber?

Re: Hate Crime Legislation
 

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I still don't support making motivation a factor in defining a crime.

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It seems to me that the reason some one commits a crime has a lot to do with their rehabilitation. Would you agree with that? If so, would you support using motive in parole hearings to determine if someone already convicted stays in jail?

(If you don't agree with that, I'd be curious as to why)

Re: Hate Crime Legislation
 

There are actually very specific reasons for why this is.

Having the Death Penalty behind the murder of police officers makes criminals a lot less likely to shoot police, protecting the men in blue.

Re: Hate Crime Legislation
 

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I still don't support making motivation a factor in defining a crime.

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It seems to me that the reason some one commits a crime has a lot to do with their rehabilitation. Would you agree with that? If so, would you support using motive in parole hearings to determine if someone already convicted stays in jail?

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I think those are fine. Considering motive (along with many other circumstances) when sentencing is also OK in my book. I just don't agree with "murder" and "hate murder" being two seperate crimes.

Re: Hate Crime Legislation
 

If this is so effective why don't we use it to deter the killing of anyone?

Re: Hate Crime Legislation
 

My son's a cop, so I like the idea of protecting the police. But doesn't it put a higher value on person X's life than person Y?

Re: Hate Crime Legislation
 

Shouldn't the fact your son puts his life on the line every day (if he's a non desk jockey cop) warrant special consideration/protections? He's a lot more likely to run into a guy with a gun than I am. Having that little extra incentive to not shoot a cop is well worth it. If a cop is killed by a burglar while sleeping in his own bed at night he shouldn't be treated any differently than doing the same to me.

I just can't wrap my mind around the reason to have hate crime legislation.