Hate Crime in America Essay

â€Å"A Hate Crime is an intentional, deliberate, and methodically-charged crime executed in order to cause harm or damage with regard to a specific victim chosen as a result of prejudice, racism, bias, and unlawful resentment. The range of Hate Crimes is a broad one†. The paper will inform readers of different types of hate crimes and behaviors of hate crime. From that topic, readers will learn what hate crime, the history of hate crime is and what makes hate crime different from other crimes. The topic will continue with the causes and characteristic of hate crimes informing readers of the popular hate crimes, their victims, and perpetrators. As the paper progress, the paper will inform readers research on what motivates people to commit hate crimes such as people sexually preference, race or their religion. The topic will also touch on common ways of committing hate crimes and who is known for committing those different hate crimes. The paper would also provide research information on ways to address hate crime. Victims of hate crimes now have laws to protect them from people’s cruel intentions. These laws help protect the rights of people who is victimize because of their religion, race, sexual orientation, handicap, ethnicity, or national origin. Offenses motivated by hatred against a victim based on their religion, sex orientation, race, handicapped, ethnicity, or national origin is considered a hate crime, this issue has risen up on the political charts; however, the phenomenon is hardly new. Hate crimes was largely inspired by United States religious and racial bias (Phillips, 2009). Hates crimes go as far back as the early 16th and 17th century when Native Americans were the target of intimidation and violence. (Phillips, 2009). The number of hate crimes committed in the US seems small when compared to other crimes that are committed, but the crime can become more violent than other crimes (Wessler, 2001). When hate crimes are committed, it is not to just victimize that certain person but the group of people that victim represents. This then causes chaos and hatred to spread through the community like a virus. Unlike other crimes hate crimes causes retaliation and may be the cause of series of deaths to occur through a community very rapidly. Wessler (2001) says that young people mostly commit hate crimes and their victims endure more physical and psychological harm than victims of other crimes do. Victims  should not have to deal with hate crimes alone communities and others should definitely speak out when others are being demeaning to others because of their religion, race, gender or sexual preference. According to Wessler (2001) â€Å"Everyday eight blacks, three whites, three gays, three Jews, and one Latino become hate crime victims†. Hate crimes is motivated by many different reasons, however race and religion inspire most hate crime that is committed in the Unites States (Wessler, 2001). When this bias act motivates this unlawful act, it targets forty percent of blacks and 13 percent are anti white. (Wessler, 2001). This bias act has been a rife in American history since the early 1800s. The new face of hate crime that has out number other hate crimes in the 20 century would be the attack against the Asian American and the homosexuals, according the FBI statistics (Wessler, 2001). Hate crimes is a human condition that is taught and has a host of factors that created a climate in which people , motivated by their biases, take criminal action (â€Å"1999 Hate Crimes Laws, Anti-Defamation League,†, 1999). According to â€Å"1999 Hate Crimes Laws, Anti-Defamation League,† (1999), â€Å"such factors include poor or uncertain economic conditions, racial stereo types, in films and on television†. As early in the paper, it stated that most hate crime is committed because of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. Race is the leading cause for hate crimes to be committed. African Americans who constitute the single largest minority group are more likely to be victims of hate crimes than to be a perpetrator of hate crime. In 1995, there were 8,000 hate crimes reports and nearly 3,000 were motivated by bias against African Americans (â€Å"Early Warning, Timely Response, Us Department of Education†,). The other victims consist of Jews, Asian Americans and Muslims. Attacks upon gays and lesbians are becoming more violent and the number of attacks against this group is increasing. The â€Å"Early Warning, Timely Response, Us Department of Education informs that there were 29 gay related murders. Most of the murders were accompanied hideous violence including mutilation. The brutality of these attacks can be conveyed by describing the weapons involve. There are a range weapons used to commit these violent acts such as, bottles, bricks, and rocks, followed by bats, clubs and blunt objects. Violence against gays and lesbians were so brutal, communities and most members of minorities that  were already subject in discriminations often demonized them. This often left gay and lesbians feeling isolated and vulnerable because of the difficult relationship with their communities and the police department. Religion is also a face that motivates hate crime. Every week there is a cross-burned according to Wessler (2001). At St, John Baptist Church a historic black church founded in 1765 has been a target of attacks committed by a group of whites which most of the time belong in a vicious hate group called the Ku Klux Klan. Groups like the KKK had such a negative impact on the society that they influenced 85 percent of the hate crime committed by single civilians and the other 15 percent they were directly responsible for committing those bias unlawful acts against others. Phillips (2009) Hate groups have so much power that they can spawn violence even not being present during the time that the crime was committed Phillips (2009). St John Baptist Church was just one of at least 73 other churches that suffer vandalism and suspicious fires from hate groups Phillips (2009). Most hate crimes committed against African American churches was victimizing during the 1800s and early 1900s during the period of slavery. Hate crimes are committed for different reasons and can occur anywhere and anytime. The important thing is catching these hateful acts as soon as they are committed, starting with hateful jokes and comments. Every Hour a hate crime is committed Wessler (2001). Phillips (2009) says that every one hate crime that is reported there are nine other hate crimes that go UN reported. Victims have a myriad of reasons why they do not report when they are a victim of hate crime. Some homosexual may not be ready to come out the closet fearing ruining relationships with co-workers family and friends. Some victims have little confidence that the authorities will not help them receive justice from there perpetuators. For hate crimes that is reported political leaders, law enforcement agencies state and federal agencies and public interest groups are working together to track down the origin of the bias acts committed Wessler (2001). If ever a victim of hate crime there is laws to protect people from people bias unlawful acts. A victim should first contact their local police or speak with someone at a higher level to inform them of the perpetrator’s cruel intentions Wessler (2001). When hate crimes are committed, their perpetrators face punishment  such as fines to their victims and jail time depending on how severe the crime is Wessler (2001). The Good news of all of this is that as a nation it is more people fighting against hate crimes Wessler (2001). People are speaking out more when bias acts flares up in their present. If ever been physically attacked, threatened with physical harm or discriminated against because of race, color, religion, national origin, ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, or disability is a victim of hate crime. Hate crime existing since the early 1800s now have laws to protect people from bias unlawful acts committed against them. Although America still filled of hatred, with the help of the government, law enforcements, nonprofit groups against hate crime and good people, can help slow down the motivated bias acts. References 1)Early Warning, Timely Response, Us Department of Education. (). Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/earlywrn.html 2)1999 Hate crimes Laws, Anti-Defamation League,. (1999). Retrieved from http://www.adl.org/frames/front_99hatecrime.html 3)Wessler, S. (2001). Addressing Hate Crimes. Six Initiatives That Are Enhancing the Efforts of Criminal Justice Practitioners. Hate Crimes Series. Bureau of Justice Assistance Monograph, 4)Phillips, N. D. (2009). The prosecution of hate crimes:. The Limitations of the Hate Crime Typology,