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Originally Posted by Lilith
The Central Park Jogger assailant selected his victim because she was a woman. Matthew Shepard's because he was gay. If selection criteria equals hate crime then I fail to see a difference.
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Sorry hon. That was bad writing on my part.
What I was trying to do was restate my point, from the end of the previous paragraph, that some crimes are so terrible that motive, or "selection criteria" is not important. I was also trying to show (badly) that just because I can identify with a victim, I am not trying to make the crime more than it is.
I slipped into "teaching attitude" because I am a recent victim of higher education. When I am presenting a point or making an argument in a more formal manner, a certain way of speaking and writing takes over, one I call "teaching attitude." When I am in an actual face to face conversation, people who don't know me well sometimes are a bit shocked at the difference.
Wild Irish.
I wasn't trying to "educate you".
I thought maybe if I introduced a new, different way of looking at the issue, you might understand my point of view.
I understand yours, I think. It is almost bibical, the "eye for an eye" belief.
I was taught the point of having a trial was not just about guilt or innocence, but discovering mitigating factors that might affect punishment.
Take a person who kills another person without intent, say during a fistfight, where a person with a heart condition becomes overstressed and dies. Compare to someone who kills another for gain, killing a spouse for the insurance money for example. In each case someone died as a result of an act by another.
If you feel they should be treated the same, that is most certainly your prerogative. I was just pointing out that the law has looked at it differently for a very, very long time. Intent as a basis for deciding the degree of a crime or the punishment isn't new, and certainly not just for hate crimes.
My last thought, as I am not going to post about this anymore.
The laws will change. I just don't know wich way. In the 19th century being lesbian or gay was punishable by imprisonment, or even death, as it still is in several countries. African Americans were "3/5" of a person. It wasn't illegal to kill your slave.
Things change
WW
Thngs change.