hate crime?

What is the name of your state? Illinois

Do hate crimes exist?

Laura, am I correct in assuming this question is posted in response to my hate crime comment in our other thread?

If so, what I meant was that most crimes are committed with a certain element of "hate". An assault on a black male by another black male contains an element of hate, just as does an assault on a black male by a white male. Both are "hate-motivated", therefore calling it a "hate crime" is redundant. It's like calling it an illegal crime.

My point was that "hate crime" is a popular buzzword used by certain factions of our society. Hate crime legislation is BS. If they want to make the penalties stiffer, they should make them stiffer. Not toughen the law in only some cases........

The definition of a hate crime: any of various crimes (as assault or defacement of property) when motivated by hostility to the victim as a member of a group (as one based on color, creed, gender, or sexual orientation).

Now it should seem clear the difference betwen a hate crime and one man beating another because he doesn't like him. In a hate crime, the victim is chosen by what they are (as one based on color, creed, gender, or sexual orientation) not who they are or what they did. I might hate my husband and kill him but i chose him because of who he is...not because of what he is....this is not a hate crime.

Hate crimes intrinsically have perfered victims. A gay bashing necessitates that they think the potential victim is gay.

Here in IL, the first offense is a class 4 felony, a probational offense. It takes 2 *convictions* to be sent to prison.

Asserting that hate crimes do no exist is foolish.