To The Editor

April 2009

Letter to the Editor

With "hate crime" legislation coming before Congress again, we should take a look at this issue to make sure we understand what it involves.

What makes a "hate crime" different from other crimes? The proposed "hate crime" legislation seeks to judge the "evil" of a crime based on who committed the crime and who was the victim, rather than the nature of the crime itself. This divides people in to classes of those protected under hate crime law and those who are not. These "classes" will be based on categories such as race, sexual orientation or maybe even religion.

For example, if an individual in group A (a non-protected class) commits a crime against an individual in group B (a protected class), that would be considered a hate crime since individuals in group B are considered potential victims of hate crimes. But, if an individual in group B commits the same crime or one even worse against an individual in group A, that would not be a hate crime since group A is not a protected class. Only protected groups can be victims of hate crimes!

To take this even further, if an individual in group B commits a crime against another individual in group B, that would not be a hate crime because only non-protected groups are capable of committing hate crimes. Likewise, if an individual in group A commits a crime against another individual in group A, that is also not a hate crime because only individuals in protected groups can be victims of hate crimes.

The same standard is set in the concepts of "hate speech." If group A speaks in a negative fashion about group B that is hate speech. This is the case even if what group A said was 100% factually true. It would still be hate speech. But, group B can say anything they desire about group A and that is simply "free speech."

Not only are these protected species of people able to have a different legal standing than the unprotected species, they will also become eligible to receive assistance based on who they are rather than based on their need.

Does this sound fair? Does this sound like equality?

Fair or not, hate crime laws have nothing to do with equality. Hate crime laws are simply a means to some political end. But then, where will all this foolishness end?
Steve Casey
P. O. Box 487
Stonewall, LA 71078
318-925-5283 home
318-949-5536 office
318-347-9916 cell