3 ms·

Those of us who said, over and over again, how dumb it was to make up "hate crimes" as a thing are smirking. We did tell you what would happen. Nobody wanted

Those of us who said, over and over again, how dumb it was to make up "hate crimes" as a thing are smirking. We did tell you what would happen. Nobody wanted to hear it. Now it's here and everyone is all "shocked Pikachu" from the middle of that slippery slope.

mitt_romney_12 3y ago
This isn't a problem with hate crimes this is a problem with the level of immunity cops are given. If hate crimes had never been "made up" (whatever that means) they would have just found another way to make it illegal to piss off cops.
- at_a_remove 3y ago
  Of course they were made up. It's a legal construct. "Hate crimes" did not exist as a legal charge fifty years ago. Why are you using language as if you did not know this?
harimau777 3y ago
As I understand it, legislation defining hate crimes addresses a very real issue: By creating a threatening environment hate crimes can cause dramatically more damage than what the base crime itself would suggest. For example, the minor punishments associated with trespassing and vandalism don't seem proportionate to the harm caused by the Klan burning a cross in someone's front yard. Without hate crime legislation, it would be easy for bigots to harass people via what the law would see as minor crimes. So I'm not necessarily opposed to getting rid of hate crime legislation. However, we would need some other way to protect people.
tehwebguy 3y ago
Repeating Elon Musk talking points in public is wild! The concept of mens rea is not new, it’s a vital factor in the defining, charging, convicting (and dismissing and acquitting) of crimes.
- at_a_remove 3y ago
  I wouldn't know, I don't follow the guy. If he said the sky was blue, would you be bothered by that? Of course mindset matters. You don't murder out of love, generally. I'm sure a few have. Putting these artificial rails on it, saying that it only matters for race or whatnot, that's the silly part and it was bound to be broken through. And so it has.

mitt_romney_12 3y ago

This isn't a problem with hate crimes this is a problem with the level of immunity cops are given. If hate crimes had never been "made up" (whatever that means) they would have just found another way to make it illegal to piss off cops.

at_a_remove 3y ago
Of course they were made up. It's a legal construct. "Hate crimes" did not exist as a legal charge fifty years ago. Why are you using language as if you did not know this?

harimau777 3y ago

As I understand it, legislation defining hate crimes addresses a very real issue: By creating a threatening environment hate crimes can cause dramatically more damage than what the base crime itself would suggest. For example, the minor punishments associated with trespassing and vandalism don't seem proportionate to the harm caused by the Klan burning a cross in someone's front yard. Without hate crime legislation, it would be easy for bigots to harass people via what the law would see as minor crimes. So I'm not necessarily opposed to getting rid of hate crime legislation. However, we would need some other way to protect people.

tehwebguy 3y ago

Repeating Elon Musk talking points in public is wild! The concept of mens rea is not new, it’s a vital factor in the defining, charging, convicting (and dismissing and acquitting) of crimes.

at_a_remove 3y ago
I wouldn't know, I don't follow the guy. If he said the sky was blue, would you be bothered by that? Of course mindset matters. You don't murder out of love, generally. I'm sure a few have. Putting these artificial rails on it, saying that it only matters for race or whatnot, that's the silly part and it was bound to be broken through. And so it has.