...there's also the matter of "hate speech". I thought it was only for bleeding hearts until I got a pamphlet in the mail from this christian fundamentalist talking about the "sodomite agenda" and "homofacist conspiracy". It felt like a slap in the face, and I can't imagine how any homosexuals who received it felt. That's when I realized this guy should be charged with more than a simple bylaw infraction, and thought that maybe hate crimes legislation might serve a point. I called the guy who sent these pamphlets and he used the "freedom of speech" defence. He was essentially a weasel and a coward getting volunteers to deliver his defamatory hate literature for him.
....intent plays a large part in how courts decide verdicts. I'm not saying that evertime a white guy beats up a minority it's a hate crime. There are certain cases though where a crime is intended to intimidate or "send a message" to an entire group.
....I can understand why hate crime legislation would be justified but like a lot of people I don't know effective it can really be.
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