Re: Hate Crime Legislation
[ QUOTE ]
I dont think a terrorist crime can or should be defined by the number of simultaneous victims. The Columbine shooting can hardly be referred to as a terrorist crime
[/ QUOTE ]
It's not the sole defining characteristic. Jesus, you can be mind-numbingly literal at times.
[ QUOTE ]
Terrorist crimes, to me, have two attributes one to cause fear that lasts beyond the actual commission of the particular crime.
[/ QUOTE ]
Victims of routine muggings and other violent personal crimes often have lasting fear and other psychological effects.
[ QUOTE ]
9/11 is terrorist by this attribute as the reason and reaction lasted far longer than for example the fear of the beltway bandit.
[/ QUOTE ]
The fear of the beltway bandit (are you talking about the sniper?) ended because they caught the guy. The masterminds of 9/11 are still around, presumably. Also, the number of people affected by the beltway bandit wasn't anywhere close to the number affected by 9/11.
[ QUOTE ]
Terrorist crimes and Hate crimes are closely related though not quite the same. Hate crimes are often spontaneous as opposed to planned attacks on the group that is being hated.
[/ QUOTE ]
Intent, premeditation, etc is *definitely* a valid criteria for differentiation of crime classes. We already do that with 1st degree murder vs. (eg) manslaughter.
|