Hate Crimes
A hate crime is a criminal act in which a victim is selected. A person who commits a hate crime can come from any background and be any race. The term hate crime is meant to point out the difference of criminal behavior that is caused by prejudice. A hate crime is when a person is chosen because of race, color, religion, gender or sexual orientation.
“Hate groups differ from one another in terms of membership, ideology and activities but do share one thing in common; they direct violence towards and against groups of people they do not understand” (www.tolerance.org). Incidents of hate crimes can include; verbal attacks, physical abuse, damage to property, bulling and harassment. In most cases hate crimes could be caused by ignorance, confusion and fear of the unknown or just because you are different then other individuals. Reasons for each person that commits a hate crime may be different but in essence share the same feeling to commit these crimes.
No one is born to be prejudice. It is the society that people grow up in that teaches them to be that way. However, society tries to undo our prejudice through education when we enter school. The way a person views something related to racism reflects on how society raised them. “Prejudice is brought back to us when we meet students who are prejudice, whether we become their friends or their victims of discrimination” (www.usdoj.gov).
In the words of Mark Bargether, “It makes no sense that the FBI can investigate a religious based crime but not a hate crime committed because someone is, or seem to be gay.” (www.enotes.com/hate-crime). Mark Bargeter is a heterosexual man who was brutally beaten and partially blinded by a man that thought he was a homosexual. This just goes to show you that no matter what color, race, religion, and sexual orientation, you are judged by the way you look on the outside. There are people that may and may not express their sexual...