Definition please *caution foul lanuage*

[Oni]

Could some one please define hate crimes for me.

[Imported Memory]

Hate crimes (also known as bias motivated crimes) occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her membership in a certain social group, usually defined by race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, or political affiliation.

Hate crime can take many forms. Incidents may involve physical assault, damage to property, bullying, harassment, verbal abuse or insults, or offensive graffiti or letters.

For more information, check out the Wikipedia article here.

[Im1ru1]

Great Job answering it, imported, I don't think I could add anything to that.

[Oni]

So it's not a hate crime then if a person calls you a fagot nigger just to call you out on a fight, if they don't know your gay and you are white? They are just trying to get a fight.

I am not really asking out of my own curiosity...Just creating discussion.

[Imported Memory]

I wouldn't know.  Never been in a fight even though I've been called all kinds of horrible things.  I don't really understand the question here.  Fights are two-sided, hate crimes are one-sided.

If someone is harassing or threatening you just because of your sexual orientation, race, religion (etc.) - that can be considered a hate crime.  If someone is just throwing words out to egg you on because they know you'll fight back, I'm not sure how well that would hold up in court.  Especially if you were to fight back.

[Oni]

Ya but if they are just words to get you to go out and fight that's  not a hate crime...that's  just them egging you on.

Now if they Target you because of your orientations, race, ect...than ya I could see that being a hate crime.

[Im1ru1]

It comes down to perception, and can be a hard thing to quantify in a court.

[scooter]

I just want to go on record that I do not believe that hate crimes are any different than other crimes.  You don't kill someone for no reason, if you hate them you already get a stiffer sentence, doesn't matter if it's because someone's gay, black or *boinked* your wife...

[Im1ru1]

I've always thought that hate crimes legislation was kinda silly---if someone is killed because the killer hated the fact they were gay---are they any more dead than the person who was killed randomly?  And isn't murder already illegal?  What's the poiint of making it MORE illegal?

[Rottweiler]

'Hate Crime' is a category of motivation appended to an existing crime, much as 'Crime of Passion' is the same way.

I honestly don't see the point- a crime is a crime, doing so because you're a flaming asshat is the same as doing so because you're a *bigoted* flaming asshat. The penalty should be the same. However, by the same token, the penalty should be the *same* and it should be much harsher than our justice system allows.

[lazydullard]

if your crime affects a member of a minority group, it's a hate crime, and you are a racist, and you will be found guilty.

[Taylor-MadeAK]

if your crime affects a member of a minority group, it's a hate crime, and you are a racist, and you will be found guilty.

Thank you for absolutely zero contribution to this conversation, and proving your own ignorance besides.  Please, while you're here and in such a contributing mood, define "minority group" for us.  The term itself is an oxymoron - how can you be a "minority" if you are in a "group"? - but even so I do not think that means what you think it means (10 points to whoever caught the reference).

[Oni]

Yesh I have modified some of what was said, and deleted a post to safe drama.

[Imported Memory]

if your crime affects a member of a minority group, it's a hate crime, and you are a racist, and you will be found guilty.

Thank you for absolutely zero contribution to this conversation, and proving your own ignorance besides.  Please, while you're here and in such a contributing mood, define "minority group" for us.  The term itself is an oxymoron - how can you be a "minority" if you are in a "group"? - but even so I do not think that means what you think it means (10 points to whoever caught the reference).

Ignorance is bliss.

As far as it applying "zero contribution" is a matter of opinion.  I've posted my fair share of nonsense that has been far from beneficial to the others here.  At least he stuck to the topic, which is more than I've done in many threads.  I actually got a chuckle out of his brief and quirky post earlier today when I first read it.  But then again, I took it with a grain of salt.  I think we all know that the statement is far from being 100% true, so why treat it as though it were meant to be taken so seriously?

Drama created from nonsense is one of the main reasons why I keep to myself.  I do not see any merit from being part of a community , real or digital, where people lash out at one another.

[Taylor-MadeAK]

The point to that post, poster-formerly-known-as-Imported-Memory, was to elicit a response from him in the attempt to define the term "minority group."  Such a term is rather silly when applied in a country with a reputation for being a "cultural melting pot."  In fact, if you look at a census report you'll come to realize that very soon now the concept of "racial minorities" will either be a thing of the past in America or have a radically different meaning.  With as quickly as that's happening, I figure it's only a matter of time before the entire concept is thrown out the window; and we'll be the better for it.

Cite.  My.  Sources.

Now, as far as "sexual preference minorities" go...you know, the way I see it is homo sapiens sapiens is an omnivore.  We eat everything.  It's only a matter of time before we reach the point where we'll screw everything and not even bat an eye about it.  But even then, I have a hunch that there will still be more men who prefer to have sex with women than there will be men who like the cock, which means technically gay men will still be a "minority group."  But by then the whole "minority group" concept will be passé and nobody will give a damn whether you like girls, boys, or barnyard animals.