Mother of hate crime victim to speak at USC-Aiken tonight

Not to take away at all from the trauma she and her son encountered, I understand that, but all crimes are hate crimes; there is just the matter of degree. Hate ranges from callous disregard or the absence of love (caring), to unbridled targeted anger. How do you measure anything on that continuum? If those in the justice system have a way to quantify hatred then I suppose this would be viable. But there isn't a way to reliably quantify an irrational emotion. Sometimes the element of hatred goes totally unrecognized by one or more persons involved in certain cases, because either it is not politically correct to notice it, or we simply don't know it was a factor. Too add this ephemeral complication to the system will increase inequities in punishment, not decrease them.

The biggest problem here is with whose opinion gets picked as the standard for evaluating whether someone is targeted for a crime specifically because of their race, ethnicity, religion, economic status, gender, marital status or sexual orientation. And who gets to decide what demographic designations will be included under the federal categorization of hate crimes. Just race? Just religion, and which ones are protected? This whole issue is a complete load of nonsense and pandering to special interests, minorities and lobbies. Apply all laws and rulings the same way across the board and forget this judicial stupidity. All we need to do is follow the Constitution and put the skids of the courts creating new legislation.

could someone please list the groups that are given superior justice than me?

The entire "hate crime" thing is ridiculous. What the heck difference does the reason for any unjustified violence make. If someone kills someone because the victim is a member of some minority or if someone kills someone because the victim wouldn't han over their wallet - it doesn't matter!

If you have ever been the target of hate due to your race, sexual orientation or religion you would understand why these laws are needed. I have seen it from different points of view both as a mother and as a gay woman. In many cases without these types of laws the persons perpetrating the crime just gets a slap on the wrist. If you look at the time before the civil rights movement of the 60's if a white man killed a black man because of the color of his skin the white man usually got off. Now we have to put laws in place to protect other minorities against the same thing. In recent years there have been crimes against the LGBT (lesbian,gay,bisexual and transgender) community that were over looked because people thought they deserved it because they are sick or different. If you are an American you deserve the same protection under the law no matter what.

Agreed, you need the SAME protection under the law. The Hate Crimes Bill does nothing to further the SAME protection.

SAME protection, not ENHANCED protection. Gay, etc., and minority murder victims don't have a greater right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness than anyone else. Losing any of that doesn't make them a bigger or more entitled victim. Ask the straight Catholic Christians who got pelted with condoms by the LGBT citizens of ACT-UP as they left the St. Patrick's Day Mass in NYC. Or ask all the white people who get targeted for mugging or robbery by a member of a minorty simply because they are white and look prosperous. Do those offenses qualify as hate crimes? Clearly, the pelters at St. Pat's hated the people coming out of the cathedral.

Hate crimes are all about KNOWING what the criminal is thinking while the crime is being committed. How silly is that? This isn't the same as being suspicious of what the criminal may have been thinking....."hate crimes" is KNOWING. These laws would never hold up in a real court.

Speeding is against the law, you break the law and get a fine. Speed in a construction zone and you get a even bigger fine. Murder is against the law, you break the law you go to jail for a long time. Murder a gay guy and you get probation or your out in 5 years. Murder a black person in the 60's you get a parade.

This ain't the 60s. Murder sentences are set by law and there is little judges can do to change what is given to anyone--UNLESS someone can make it into a hate crime.