Hate crimes do apply to everyone

[Kiljan Arslan]

found this

Hate crime charges filed against man
Associated Press - June 12, 2008 1:24 AM ET

CHICAGO (AP) - A Chicago man is accused of a hate crime and his three sons have been accused of aggravated battery in an alleged attack on a motorist in which racial epithets were shouted.

Court documents indicate, 53-year-old Mahmoud Alkhazaleh also was charged with aggravated battery and vehicle invasion in a June 9 attack on the driver of a truck who allegedly honked his horn to prod Alkhazaleh to step out of his path.

Court documents indicate Alkhazaleh called the victim a "blue-eyed devil" among other things, during a physical attack that included throwing rocks and spitting."

Alkhazaleh is denying the allegations against him, saying the incident started when the driver nearly ran him over.

Alkhazaleh, who was released Wednesday night from the Cook County Jail on $60,000 bail, said he did not use any hate speech during the incident.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

not defending hate crime legislation just dispelling that often claimed myth about hate crimes that it only applies to crimes against non white people.

[MaximiIian]

I think Hate Crime legislation serves a purpose. Obviously, it shouldn't be used simple because the victim of an attack happens to be a minority. It must be in cases where the attacked is assaulted because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, etc.

[Angered Roach]

Hate crimes are utter . If some rednecks stomp a mudhole into a gay man, charge them for stomping a mudhole into someone, not because of their choice of target. What difference does it make why someone did what they did? All that matters is -what- they did. Maybe i'd change my tune if I encountered at least one circumstance where hate crime charges were brought up against a non-caucasian. Mr. Alkalazeh may be a muslim, but he is still white. In this case, mind-boggingly enough, he was charged with a hate crime for hurling epithets against another white person...

[MaximiIian]

What difference does it make why someone did what they did?

Intent is important. It's the difference between First and Second Degree Murder, for example.

Mr. Alkalazeh may be a muslim, but he is still white.

Er...what? :hmmm:

[Playfishpaste]

Max, you can be muslim and be white, just like you can be a black Jew.

Also, hate crimes are garbage. I have yet to see gay people get convicted for killing or assaulting straight people.

[MaximiIian]

Max, you can be muslim and be white, just like you can be a black Jew.

I realize that. But where in the article does it say that the Muslim dude was white? I think you're pulling that out of your ass.

I have yet to see gay people get convicted for killing or assaulting straight people.

Correction: you've yet to see a gay person get convicted for assaulting a heterosexual on the basis of sexual orientation.
You see the converse far too often.

[Angered Roach]

"Muslim" isn't a distinct race. There is no special category on race censuses or anything of the like for middle eastern Arabs, Turks, Kurds, Persians, Afghans, Pakistanis, or any other middle eastern ethnic group.

Caucasian ethnic groups stretch from America in the west to India in the east. Where do you think the word Caucasian comes from? It comes from the Caucasus mountains, a region including the countries of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan (OMFG mozlemzz!1!1).

I don't know where people got this ridiculous idea that muslims were of a different race.

[Kiljan Arslan]

thats a middle eastern name, oh and where in the article did it say the man they were attacking was armenian?

[Heathen Hammer]

White male is not root of all evil on the Earth? You've got to be kidding me!

[Kiljan Arslan]

this guy isn't white!

[C-Rob]

Calling something a hate crime enforces the idea that races are different.

[MaximiIian]

Calling something a hate crime enforces the idea that races are different.

They are different. The differences are incredibly small, though.
But humans, being a generally OCD species, likes to categorize and micromanage themselves based on little details. The problem comes when those who hate use these details as a basis of hatred. Even if those details have nothing to do with the character of the person in question.

But that's what i'm saying.
What do all these people have in common? They're all muslim, and they're all quite solidly white.

I get it. I don't think you are getting it.
He assumed that the Muslim in question was white.
His ethnicity is an unknown. However, by the fact that he used ethnic slurs against whites seems to imply that he is not white.

[Tchouk]

Calling something a hate crime enforces the idea that races are different.

People shouldn't confuse terminology - it leads to all sorts of misunderstandings.

Races are different. And all it takes is a look to convince yourself. If you can tell a white person from a black one -- already there must be some difference, no?

The point is not that races are the same -- it's that those differences don't influence in anyway the quality of the person.

It's like a short person is, in fact, very different from a tall one. But one is not better than the other and the important thing is that both are people.

That should be the emphasis.

[MaximiIian]

It's like a short person is, in fact, very different from a tall one. But one is not better than the other and the important thing is that both are people.

Actually, on this example, I would say that short people are better.

Only because we're not truly short. Everyone else is just too tall.
I'm not kidding, btw. I've been insulted, belittled, and even beaten because of my short stature. I blame the too-talls for every bit of it. Oh, and, in case you were wondering, yes, if I assaulted a tall person purely on the basis of them being tall and me hating that fact, that should be considered a hate crime. Albeit one for which I would hold no remorse whatsoever. I cannot emphasize enough how little remorse I could have.

PS) My observation doesn't make the rest of your post invalid, of course, Mr. Tschouk.

[Tchouk]

Actually, on this example, I would say that short people are better.

Only because we're not truly short. Everyone else is just too tall.
I'm not kidding, btw. I've been insulted, belittled, and even beaten because of my short stature. I blame the too-talls for every bit of it. Oh, and, in case you were wondering, yes, if I assaulted a tall person purely on the basis of them being tall and me hating that fact, that should be considered a hate crime. Albeit one for which I would hold no remorse whatsoever. I cannot emphasize enough how little remorse I could have.

PS) My observation doesn't make the rest of your post invalid, of course, Mr. Tschouk.

Man, forget about race.

We've inadvertently stumbled upon a hidden cesspool of bigotry and intolerance!

Society! Open your eyes!

Equal rights for people of all heights!

[Kiljan Arslan]

that it dose the point of this wan not to defend them but to put to rest a claim that it only applied to white on minority violence not both ways. .

[MaximiIian]

Although, I guess I am a bit bitter and paranoid. That might explain it more accurately.
The thing to me was, if people weren't so tall, I wouldn't be perceived as so short, and I would not be belittled (pardon the pun) because of my height (5' 3" when I don't slouch, an inch shorter when I slouch).

[thatguy]

In light of this knew discrimination agaisnt the smallies, as a person tallness i think i need to lead an example for my tall bretheren!
I hereby declare myself leader of The Campaign for Equal Heights!

[Rich86]

Does anyone else feel a little shudder when they hear phrases like;

"hate crime"

I don't know - just can#'t help but get a picture of 1984 in my head everytime I hear it.

"HATE CRIME!" just sounds wrong - call me odd if you will

[C-Rob]

Does anyone else feel a little shudder when they hear phrases like;

"hate crime"

I don't know - just can#'t help but get a picture of 1984 in my head everytime I hear it.

"HATE CRIME!" just sounds wrong - call me odd if you will

Never thought of that before! Interesting realization. If people dont' stop using the term hate crime, we'll become nothing but slaves to one of three regional totalitarian governments that just keep fighting a useless war!