
In my career as a police officer stretching over 30 years, I encountered my share of evil people. I sincerely believe there are evil people in the world who don't deserve to live. I will discount my military experience because I'm not sure what's evil in a war. I've contemplated that and I can't put my finger on a complete definition. I'm sure there are those who get it, but I'm not one. Obviously, the Nazis leap to mind, but that's a given. When should soldiers kill?
I bring all this up to make a point. "Hate Crime" legislation is a feel good criminalization of thought and speech. I say this because those who harm people in a criminal manner should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The reason should not matter. If someone kills or injures another person, the reason doesn't matter unless it's self defense. The human in me has encountered several situations in which I felt empathy for the suspect, but the law is the law.
The person who is assaulted, for whatever reason, does not experience less injury because the suspect was just mad at the victim about a debt or some other disagreement. The person who is killed because of a domestic problem is still dead. The circumstances of murder are secondary to the act itself. I investigated many homicides in my career and dead is dead. If a murderer kills someone because of a prejudice of some sort is irrelevant. The murderer should be prosecuted to fullest extent of the law. Murder is murder. Does the reason really matter if it's done criminally?
This is another manifestation of the victimology of America today. Somehow what was in the mind of the murderer is more relevant if the victim was of a certain class. The criminalization of thought and speech is very troubling. Why? Well, who is going to decide what speech and thought is criminal and which is not? Think about it.
A word about the chicken crap move of attaching the "hate crime" legislation to a military appropriation bill. The Senate leadership who hatched this scheme are a gutless bunch of sissies who did this in the hopes that the president will veto it so they can go to their leftie constituents and say "I tried." I don't have a problem with cutting funds for the F-22, although it is an incredible aircraft. There are other planes out there and Americans can build almost anything. I find the Senate "leadership" guilty of gutless politics in the recent tradition of the last few congresses who have distinguished themselves with ineptness on a monumental scale. Shameful.
