Hate Crimes. Criminologist Essay
Hate Crimes
Meshanda Rolland-Avera
COM/172
March 21, 2012
Ms. Valery Reed
Hate Crimes
Hate crimes are many different criminal acts such as vandalism, arson, assault, and even murder. Many hate crimes are based on an individual’s race, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and disabilities. Everyone can be potential victims of hate crimes. Anyone from any social class can be considered targets for hate crimes. If you or a group believes in a different religion or speaks a different language and the offenders do not approve, then they will target you. No one can be really safe and overcome hate crimes if they are being targeted. It is a cruel and depressing world. With help as a community can stop hate crimes.
What are Hate Crimes?
The term “Hate Crime” defined by Public Law #103-322A, a 1994 federal law, defines a hate crime as: “a crime in which the defendant intentionally selects a victim, or in the case of a property crime, the property that is the object of the crime, because of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of any person” (Criminal Justice, 2011). Although this is the federal definition, each state has its own legal hate crime statues, which states what constitutes and is punishable as a hate crime in that state. Some states do not recognize hate crimes at all, yet, as it clearly states in the countries founding documents the people of this country are “one nation” and “all men are created equal.” The number of hate crimes being committed is growing in numbers (Sweeny, 1998). What is considered a “hate crime” today is no longer restricted to the issue of black and white, but the national standard for these crimes remains unclear.
There is no cause to do harm against someone else. People tend to harm people because of what religion is worshiped. For example, during the Holocaust, Jews were victims of hate crimes. Hitler ordered for all Jews to be
Meshanda Rolland-Avera
COM/172
March 21, 2012
Ms. Valery Reed
Hate Crimes
Hate crimes are many different criminal acts such as vandalism, arson, assault, and even murder. Many hate crimes are based on an individual’s race, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and disabilities. Everyone can be potential victims of hate crimes. Anyone from any social class can be considered targets for hate crimes. If you or a group believes in a different religion or speaks a different language and the offenders do not approve, then they will target you. No one can be really safe and overcome hate crimes if they are being targeted. It is a cruel and depressing world. With help as a community can stop hate crimes.
What are Hate Crimes?
The term “Hate Crime” defined by Public Law #103-322A, a 1994 federal law, defines a hate crime as: “a crime in which the defendant intentionally selects a victim, or in the case of a property crime, the property that is the object of the crime, because of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of any person” (Criminal Justice, 2011). Although this is the federal definition, each state has its own legal hate crime statues, which states what constitutes and is punishable as a hate crime in that state. Some states do not recognize hate crimes at all, yet, as it clearly states in the countries founding documents the people of this country are “one nation” and “all men are created equal.” The number of hate crimes being committed is growing in numbers (Sweeny, 1998). What is considered a “hate crime” today is no longer restricted to the issue of black and white, but the national standard for these crimes remains unclear.
There is no cause to do harm against someone else. People tend to harm people because of what religion is worshiped. For example, during the Holocaust, Jews were victims of hate crimes. Hitler ordered for all Jews to be