Why should someone who commits a crime that is NOT considered a so-called “hate crime” get any less sentence than someone who commits a "hate crime" ?

[RingOfFire]

If someone robs and murders a stranger in non-hate crime, is the victim any less dead?

Is the victim's family in any less pain?

What kind of crime was it? A love crime?

The whole concept of "hate crime" needs to be dumped. It is subjective, discriminatory, unequal justice under the law and unconstitutional.

[GOLDFISH_smile]

Same reason the sentence is harsher if the animal u illegally kill is an endangered species. Some people are a higher risk of being targeted, so u give extra reason to not attack them. Try to balance it out somehow.

[RingOfFire]

Who should decide which people get extra protection and which don't? According to the Constitution, all people are entitled to equal protection and justice under the law. So what you are supporting is unconstitutional.

[GOLDFISH_smile]

Statistics decide. Based on what people are targeted drastically more often than others.

[RingOfFire]

So statistics should be able to override the Constitution?

[GOLDFISH_smile]

I think so, yeah, but that's not what's happening here. It's still equal protection.

If 1 persons house is on fire, & one person's kitchen is on fire, are they getting unequal protection if the first is removed from the house & all the house is put out, but the 2nd only their kitchen is put out? Or are they both being equally protected from fire, just 1 person has more fire to be protected from?

Same idea, but w violent crimes.

[RingOfFire]

So you think that people should be able to be denied their Constitutional rights if statistics show that some people are more likely to be victims of crimes than others?

[GOLDFISH_smile]

No. I didn't say that. I said i think statistics should be able to override the constitution. I didn't specify when or how, bc that's a whole diff thing & I doubt we agree on that either. But it doesn't apply in this case bc it's not unequal protection. Everyone gets same protection from danger. Hate crime laws are there bc some people have more danger to protect them from.

[gorydetails]

There should never be a thing as a hate crime. It's essentially a thought crime.

[RingOfFire]

Well stated.