I just read this short article in the Omaha World Herald about a hate crime. It got me thinking a little bit and I have a few opinions.
I understand the concept of a hate crime… but then again, maybe I don’t. The crime was the one man hit another man. Is it really a worse crime because the man said he hated white people? I guess my thing is, this man hit another man and then said he hated white people. He didn’t hit the man because he was white - he hit the man because of a dispute over an apartment complex.
If a white man hits another white man - it doesn’t seem to be a hate crime, because a white man obviously can’t hate another white man, right?
To me, one of our main goals as a society should be to rid ourselves of the concept of race. Some people may disagree with that because they want to remember where they came from or whatever - but my stance is, we’re all the same and let’s move forward as one. So, to me, having the concept of hate crime seems a little archaic. One man hit another man - the punishment should be for that - in my opinion.
I realize that hate crimes can be for other things besides race… sexual orientation for instance. I think my same feelings stand. If a straight man murders a straight man… is that hate crime? I would think so because the man obviously had to have some strong hatred towards the other one to end his life, right?
These are just some thoughts I had while reading the article… nothing more.