Hate Crimes

In 1990, President George Bush signs the Hate Crime Statistics Act, authorizing the collection and tabulation of data on "hate crimes." These are criminal offenses motivated by bias or prejudice in regards to race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. The new law sparks a certain amount of controversy. While all agree that these are terrible acts, many people question whether someone should be punished for beliefs or thoughts in addition to conduct. How do we even make sure that a crime was motivated by hate? What if the offenders don't do something as obvious as shout derogatory comments? Many crimes involve intense emotions. Is it possible to classify those feelings specifically as prejudicial hatred? Critics of the law insist that behavior alone — the act of committing assault, murder, vandalism, intimidation, or having the intent to harm — constitutes the crime. Some supporters of the law suggest that taking a firm stand against bias sends a message of moral reprehension that helps reduce prejudice and deter hateful acts.

While the debate proceeds, the concept becomes familiar to the public through current events. The lynchings of James Byrd Jr., a black man, and Matthew Shepard, a gay man, make the national news. The gathering of hate crime statistics begins in 1991. By 1998, 7,755 hate crimes have been recorded, 58% of which were motivated by racial hatred. Most perpetrators are young white men.

Mary Ellen Mark