The Kansas City shootings and the whole idea of "hate crimes"

Although the case of the alleged former KKK member who reportedly shot dead several people near a Jewish community center in Kansas City is yet to be formally adjudicated(what we in the UK even though he is to be tried in the US by both state and federal authorities), the matter will inevitably arouse comment(esp amongst conservatives) as to whether or not so-called "hate/bias crimes" are constitutional or amount to "thought crime"( predictably if they go too far for conservatives, then they don't go far enough for some feminists who are reportedly lobbying for rape-presumably hetero and homosexual- to be classed as a "hate crime" rather than a purely sexual one).

A comparison can be made to the Racketeering And Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970( popularly known as the RICO Act) which doubles and even triples the sentences for a continuing pattern of racketeering(ie organized crime whether by the old style La Cosa Nostra, the Russian Mafia, OMGs- Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs- such as Hells Angels, Bandidos, Outlaws or Mongols , prison gangs such as the Aryan Brotherhood and street gangs such as the Crips and Bloods) more so than even "ordinary" criminality. Ditto for terrorist related offences in BOTH the UK and USA( see Prevention Of Terrorism Act in the UK and PATRIOT Act in the US). Does anybody think that is is "unjust" for OC/terrorist tied offences to be treated more harshly than "ordinary" criminality.

As for the "thought crime" claim- to quote then President Harry S.Truman upon vetoing the Internal Security Act of 1950, "in the United States we punish people for the crimes they commit, not for the thoughts in their heads!"(no matter how hateful.

Anybody think as I do?

Terry

So what about spray painting a Hitler mural on the Jewish Center? An ordinary act of spray painting - let's say Hello Kitty - is nothing to be too alarmed about. The Hitler mural should be a cause for concern and the person responsible should face a much harsher punishment than the Hello Kitty artist.

In the case of cold blooded murder, it doesn't matter too much because the punishment could be death for a run of the mill cold blooded murder, but murder is not the only hate crime.

Society doesn't change because of it's conscience. Laws have to be passed that people are forced to abide by. Society then transforms in the process. It might seem mere window dressing, but it is a symbol to the xenophobes out there that they are officially not welcome in polite society.

Why would you want to protect guys like that in anyway? I don't think that a child's life is any more important than an adult's in an absolutely logical sense but I wouldn't mind if the child killer was treated more harshly - like tortured or something.

I agree with the guy above except the torture part