Friday, July 14, 2006

Name that hate crime!

First, a definition:

From the U.S. Congress, 1992:

A crime in which "the defendant's conduct was motivated by hatred, bias, or prejudice, based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity of another individual or group of individuals." (HR 4797)

Okay. So.
  • If an actively homosexual person calls a heterosexual person a "breeder"...is that a hate crime?
  • If a woman was verbally assaulted by a homosexual man after signing a petition asking for an amendment to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman...is that a hate crime?
  • If a Jamaican woman is the target of racial slurs by those who believe her place of birth automatically makes her "anti-gay"...is that a hate crime?
  • If people who signed the petition mentioned above subsequently have had manure spread on their properties...would that possbily be considered a hate crime?
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Provincetown, MA.

The town, which prizes its reputation for openness and tolerance, is taking the concerns seriously, though police say they do not consider the incidents hate crimes.

You tell me.