Hate Crime Punishment Severity

Hate Crime Punishment Severity
Hate crimes are some of the most under reported crimes in America and other countries also. Crimes of hatred range from harassment to threats to physical attacks to leaving behind psychological scars are real facts that hatred is still alive and well all across the world. Wolfe and Copeland (1994, p. 201) contend that hate crime is ‘... violence directed toward groups of people who generally are not valued by the majority society, who suffer discrimination in other arenas, and who do not have full access to remedy social, political and economic injustice’. It has a devastating impact on individuals, families and communities. Hate crimes are so severe and have such a profound effect on its victim that enhanced punishment is needed to deter this type of crime. Hate crime, motivated by bias, is likely to have a greater negative effect on its victim and a greater disastrous effect on the communities involved than other crime. As hate crime causes the victims more physical, social, and psychological harm than other types of crimes, its punishment should be more severe, too.
The physical impact of Hate Crime can be devastating and the amount of violence in these crimes has risen dramatically also. Not only is it devastating for the victim, but their families and communities also. ‎ Hate crimes are committed by individuals or groups of people who do not care how badly they hurt their victims or the scars left by the crime. These scars can last a lifetime. Physical attacks on victims of hate crime includes rapes, bombings, murders, physical attacks, damage to property, swastikas symbols, and arson. Not only are physical attacks used on hate crime victims, but verbal abuse too. All hate crimes start with verbal abuse. Verbal harassment, telephone harassment, intimidation, insults, and racial slurs are all used by the attacker to try and dehumanized the victim. Bill Lockyer, Attorney General, states "Hate Crimes are among the most...