Hate Crime and Free Speech

What is a "Hate Crime"? The dictionary defines it as "any of various crimes...motivated by hostility to the victim as a member of a group which is based on color, creed, gender, or sexual orientation."

Hate crimes have shaped the world and history itself. From the Roman persecution of Christians and Hitler's "final solution" to the lynching of African American people and mutilation of gay, lesbian, or transsexual people more modern day, it changes as society changes. Targeting people who have different views or skin color or gender than someone else. Prejudices create barriers and build upon each other, making walls and keeping people apart.

No matter the differences between the targeted section, they all, as an affected group, suffer and suffer greatly. Motivated by fear of the unknown and silence which harbors hatred, those violent few act out and lives are shattered, broken, and forever changed.

These hate crime victims can be found in any family. They are people's mothers, people's fathers, people's siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins. There is not a one among us that has not felt that bitter sting of pain which occurs when harmful words are expressed by an ignorant few.

Whether a victim is chosen due to gender, sexuality, skin color, or religion, they are made targets because they are somehow different.

There is a huge difference between a crime and a hate crime. One is random with a targeted purpose. One is targeted for a random purpose. Where both are horrible, I see a hate crime as more evil because of why and how the victim is chosen.

I cried when I heard the story of 21 year old Matthew Shepard. This young man was brutally murdered after being lured from a bar by two men. They beat this young college student to near death, hung him on a fence in near freezing weather. Shepard sustained a severe brain injury due to a fracture of his skull which ran from the back of his head to in front of his right ear. They took his shoes and wallet; they planned to rob his house as well.

These two murderers used a plethora of excuses ranging from "Gay Panic", attempting to say that Matthew had made a pass at them and it caused them "Temporary Insanity", to botched robbery though it did not explain why the attack on the victim was so cruel. Neither murderer was sentenced to death for their behaviors.

Chills still run down my spine when, even now, I think of the pain that 49 year old James Byrd, Jr must have felt at the hands of his three murderers. This savage and brutal act defines these three animals as brutally inhumane.

They located James as he walked home from a party, coaxed him into their truck, and took him to an isolated area. When they had him in a place where his screams could not be heard, they beat him then chained him to the truck where they dragged him to death.

The attackers said that James' throat had been cut prior to dragging him, but the autopsy showed he was alive and attempting to hold his head up as he was being tortured which would not be possible if he had received that injury. His body was literally dragged to bits and, what was left of him, these murderers left at a predominately black church to make a statement. His body was missing the head and one arm.

Two of the three attackers had strong ties to organized hate groups, the third clear links. At least one of the murderers is sentenced to death.

Each of these crimes shared two things: They were hate crimes. Each victim left behind people who loved them.

Unfortunately, these two incidences are just two of thousands of violent, senseless hate crimes that have happened in the United States. These crimes have to do with violence and hate. They are senseless and tragic. I believe it is in our country's best interest that we do all we can to prevent them, and because we cannot prevent all of them, we should do everything in our power to punish those few who refuse to live by the law.

If a bill is passed to increase punishment for those who chose to commit hate crimes, it would have my complete personal support. Those who attempt to say that such a bill would take away "rights" of free speech certainly define "speech" and "action" differently than I do. To me, it seems a savvy phrase to be used by defense attorneys who would not want their clients to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law or a cop-out to those who hold hate inside their hearts.

Hate crime is made of prejudice, crafted in silence, and continues because, as a society, we do not punish to the fullest extent. What breaks my heart is that we all suffer at the hands of the few and we allow those few to have power over our laws.

United and equal, we need to stand up together and make our voices heard. End the silence. Stop the madness. How do you tell your children that one person's life isn't worth putting forth all efforts to keep safe? How do you explain to your grandchildren the value of life when the government refuses to safeguard each and every one?

Hate crime and free speech. Use your free speech to eliminate hate crime, please. For yourself. For your family. For the future. No more. Let's draw the line now. No more.