What is a hate crime?
The recent crime spree in south Georgia brings a disturbing question to the forefront.
MIKE LEWIS, GBI SPOKESPERSON:
“I think they were targeted largely because they are Hispanic, largely because they are known to carry cash, and I don’t think, at this time, it would be premature to say they were attacked and killed merely because they were Hispanic.”
What determines a “hate crime”?
Let’s look at some sources:
From the Anti-Defamation League:
http://www.adl.org/99hatecrime/text_legis.asp
Bias-Motivated Crimes
A person commits a Bias-Motivated Crime if, by reason of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or gender of another individual or group of individuals, he violates Section ______ of the Penal code (insert code provisions for criminal trespass, criminal mischief, harassment, menacing, intimidation, assault, battery and or other appropriate statutorily proscribed criminal conduct).A Bias-Motivated Crime under this code provision is a ______ misdemeanor/ felony (the degree of criminal liability should be at least one degree more serious than that imposed for commission of the underlying offense).
Here is a link to the Wikipedia definition:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_crime
The Federal hate crime law 18 USC 245 states in part:
The portion of Section 245 of Title 18 which is primarily enforced by the Criminal Section makes it unlawful to willfully injure, intimidate or interfere with any person, or to attempt to do so, by force or threat of force, because of that other person’s race, color, religion or national origin and because of his/her activity as one of the following:
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/245.htm
My question is: If the victim vs. attacker racial makeup was reversed would it then rise to the level of a hate crime.
I suspect that it would largely due to a national outcry by civil rights leaders and organizations. Furthermore, it appears from the quote above that these people were targeted due to their ethnicity since it was perceived to make them easy targets.
One is left to wonder why the liberal media is not in an uproar over this event.