Hate Crimes Essay, Research Paper

HATE CRIMES

Hate crimes are crimes against individuals and groups motivated by prejudice. Most crimes against individuals are against a person or property that is motivated by the offender s bias against race, religion, or sexuality just to name a few. These crimes are committed by all kinds of people in society, rather it is an individual, groups or organized groups, since most of these crimes are motivated by bigotry thinking. The most common is people blame another group for social economical hardships. The Hispanics were especially discriminated against during the recurring periods of strong anti immigrant sentiment, both new immigrants and long-time U.S. citizens of Mexican decent were blamed for social economic problems and harassed or deported in masses (Towsend, 2000).

Racial hatred is the largest reason hate crimes exist, mostly targeted to African Americans. Such groups as the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis have formed because of their hatred for blacks, Jews, Hispanics, Asians, and homosexuals. These groups blame all immigrants for taking jobs away from the majority. These groups will violently attack or even kill to get their so-called justice. They feel that for all the years whites persecuted blacks that blacks owe them something. Their ignorance was feeding the fire that blacks were the root of their problems, but the reality was the white s ignorance is the root of their own problems; furthermore, believing that hate is going to resolve anything is just plain stupidity. In 1996 4,831 out of 7,947 such crimes reported to the FBI, or 60%, were because of race, with nearly two-thirds targeting African Americans (Towsend, 2000). It s not just African Americans being targeted it s the Hispanics, Asian Pacific Americans, Arab Americans, anyone who are seen different then the mainstream population. Even if that person is a long time citizen they are labeled, as an immigrant because of the stereotype if they re not white must be an immigrant. In May 1997 a 62-year old Korean American woman in the United States since 1939, was attacked on a An Francisco street and her hip was broken. The man who assailed her thought she as Chinese (Towsend, 2000). Hate crimes are not always committed against ethnic minorities. In Las Vegas, Daniel Shersty, 20, and Lin Newborn, 21, both Jewish and white, were found in the desert 150 yards from each other. The bodies were located in a desert known for a place where Nazis target shoot. The two men were murdered execution style.

Religious discrimination has been evident ever since explores landed on our country. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries European explorers began a trend of violent crimes against people based on race and religion (Lira, 2000). European explorers initiated massacres, enslavement raids, and abuse of aboriginal people, because they wanted to bring advancements of Christian empire in the New World (Lira, 2000). Religious crimes are usually acts of vandalism like burning of churches. Since it is a group gathering the assailants are going to go after the place were they group meets, the group is too big to go after each individual. Although personal attacks are not that uncommon. In 1996, according to the FBI, the overwhelming majority of attacks are directed against Jews. Amazingly 80% of anti-religious hate groups are anti-Jewish, 2% anti-Catholic, 2% anti-Islamic, 5% anti-Protestant, and 11% anti-other (Towsend, 2000).

Hate crimes against ones sexual preference has a greater impact on the victim then any other hate crime instituted. The reason for is the stress it puts on the victim is much greater, since to them the whole society is against them. They have live with the fact that society doesn t accept there choose. I say choose because it is there choose to be gay or lesbian. In my opinion scientist saying that there is a gene in you body that determines your sexual preference before you re born just is obscured. I believe that what a child observes when it is little has greater impact on what it is going to be and how it is going to act when that child is older. For example when a young male child observes two guys kissing on the street he is going to interpret that to be normal since he doesn t know better and at a young age no one is going to explain that kind of behavior to the child. If it is a common observation it s more likely that it will act upon that sort of manner. Since violence was not experiential at the time, no consequences are to be accepted of this behavior. Being gay and lesbian is always and has been thought of as a sin. As a child when you did something wrong your mother would spank to teach you it was wrong or not to do whatever was done again. This is the same concept people use subconsciously when initiating a hate crime towards a gay man or lesbian women. The group or individual feels it s wrong so they to punish or try to correct this persons behavior. In my opinion being gay or lesbian is wrong, but a person should never be assaulted just because of sexual preference. What would make people commit such horrendous crimes such as murder against sexual preference? Being gay is something that doesn t even remotely deal with people outside of that relationship, so there is no need for bigotry people to get involved with something that doesn t concern them. Just random acts of attacks based on prejudice beliefs.

How can hate crimes be prevented? A question asked that has multiple solutions, and all solutions need to be exercised. Openness, everyone benefits from being open-minded and by respect you ll appreciate each other s differences. Not only appreciate each other s differences but also understand each other. Teach children at a young age before stereotypes and racist myths enter their minds. The government can make, as many laws as they want to punish those for committing such crimes, but that doesn t prevent hate crimes from occurring. So until all prejudice are eliminated from society hate crimes will continue.