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Hi, Pearl1,
I just wanted to say hi and make a comment because I saw your name, and it is similar to mine. I also think this piece is insightful and makes some good points. Thanks. If you're new, welcome to Blogit. :)
posted by
BlackPearl1
on August 25, 2006 at 10:24 PM
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Reply to Aaron
Aaron, I remember the Byrd case very well; as a middle-aged white woman, I feel those murderers are "white trash" of the highest order, and they got the sentence they deserved. They didn't just kill that man; they actually dismembered him by dragging him behind the truck. No one in their right mind could possibly consider that to be okay. But the people who're motivated by hate aren't in their right mind; they're NOT legally insane, but they have some very serious thinking and social problems.
My concern is that, if we enact special hate crime laws, where is it going to stop? Last week, I learned that one of my writing colleague's mother in law was killed by a drunk driver. This woman died because of someone else's irresponsibility. Should we enact special legislation against DUI homicides? Both victims are just as dead. ALL premeditated murders are punishable within our criminal justice system. Can't we just leave it at that?
Thanks for your comments!
From my little town in Montana,
Pearl
posted by
Pearl1
on August 25, 2006 at 1:02 PM
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"Hate crimes" legislation can be just a political football
During the Byrd case - where three white men dragged a black man behind a pickup and killed him - the two main perpetrators were sentenced to death. Even so, the NAACP went around blasting Bush for not enacting "hate crimes" legislation. What more could have been done, sentence those men to watch "The View" for the time leading up to their execution?
"Hate crime" legislation may sound like a nice idea, but I don't think it's workable. You can't read thoughts, so identifying what motivated particular acts is problematic (remember the Sheppard case, which turned out to be not because he was gay but because the perpetrators were high and violent?). And then there's issues of whether black-on-white crimes can be classified as hate crimes. Should we pass laws that in inter-race crimes it's a less serious offense if you also rob the person, but it's a hate-crime if you attack the person and don't rob them? So, stealing actually reduces your sentence?
posted by
AaronB
on August 25, 2006 at 8:56 AM
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