David in Canada 28 Nov 2005
9:45 pm

hmmm ...
Aren’t all crimes hate crimes?

Silja Talvi 29 Nov 2005
2:24 am

In the U.S,, hate crimes are defined as those criminal acts primarily motivated by hatred toward people of color, immigrants, members of minority religions, and/or members of GLBT community.

marge 29 Nov 2005
5:04 pm

Lower crime stats are notoriously inaccurate. Ask any criminologist. They trust the homicde stats mostly. the rest is sh-t.

marge 29 Nov 2005
5:08 pm

Correction on definition of hate crime: it is not only people of color—it is if it is motivated by any racial hatred whatsoever, so white, black asian etc,
Also, as you said, by sexual orientation, gender, diabled etc etc.
I was the victim of an anti-white attack, a random one. I am an activist and have fought for social justice. My attackers didn’t known that. They had no idea. They just wanted to beat up the “white b-tch,” and “kick” my “white a-s.” That is classified as a racially motivated attack, which in my state, is a separate statute.It is a hate crime.

Silja Talvi 29 Nov 2005
8:46 pm

Absolutely true, Marge. As I said, “primarily” motivated, because nearly 80% of hate crimes are directed against people of color and ethnic/religious minorities in the U.S.

marge 30 Nov 2005
8:20 pm

Hard to change your tune when it is in writing adn we can refer to it. You said it was “defined” as those crimes primarily motivated by ....
I took you at your word. That is a big diff.
Also, as I pointed out, and any criminologist will tell you, only the stats for serious crimes like homicides are reliable.
Not to say that the 80-percent isn’t correct, just that we don’t know, because the stats that report that are unreliable.

Silja Talvi 1 Dec 2005
12:09 am

Thank you for your perspectives, Marge. I don’t change “tunes” and never appreciate an unnecessarily aggressive tone in the context of a discussion on a blog, but your personal input is valuable to the conversation.
Please note that we do require real email addresses from participants for continued access to blogging responses and comment fields.

dAVE 1 Dec 2005
11:53 am

i almost got stomped silly by nazi skinheads once, & i’m whiter’n bird shit…

i simply told these guys that in their desperation to belong to something, they were taking the easiest, most obvious (“hey, i’m white, they have to accept me”),

least intellectual, most ignorant road… these sad little dupes…the truth is they all hate themselves at heart (i ain’t met a skinhead yet that didn’t have suicidal tendencies), & as hate is all they know how to do anyway (& these guys ain’t exactly deep thinkers), it’s easy for a manipulator type to redirect that emotion (i don’t know if ya’ll are familiar w/ gangs of skinheads, & i hope not, but count on it, it’s always a bunch of pathetic kids & one older guy pullin the strings).

anyways, what saved me from shattered teeth, broken ribs, & ruptured testicles, was my buddy, the “leader” of that particular group (& the only smart skinhead i’ve EVER met or heard of, i always knew he was better than that), who made them heel like dogs & allowed me to get the hell out of there (he’s since renounced all that bullshit, & i like to think i helped him see a little bit of the light).  i ain’t even seen a skinhead in my town for years now (even though it’s still flag-waving, bible-thumping, fox news country), although nobody can say the problems of racism & discrimination still pervade society today…god it’s stupid…

like anybody asks to be born…

dAVE 1 Dec 2005
11:55 am

DON’T….i meant to say “DON’T still pervade”....

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