Hate Crime Legislation

[Eilonnwy]

What are people's thoughts and positions on hate crime legislation. Personally I'm kind of undecided so I'm curious to see the argument.

I recognize that when a hate crime happens it can spur other hate crimes whether in opposition or support for the original crime, and that it does in some way represent a dehumanization of sorts.

But at the same time, Hate Crimes are essentially a way of tacking on a thought crime to an established crime. If someone is say stabbed (with intent to murder but the person survived) whether for money or for being black, if found guilty according to the court of law that person will suffer the appropriate punishment for their action. Hate crimes essentially tack on thought crime, where the motivation was a thought of prejudice and because you had that thought, it's more wrong and you get a more severe punishment. Too me, it doesn't necessarily seem right. Legislating thoughts is I think a bad place to ever go. It's too close to the idea of sin, which I think most of here agree sin is absurd.

We protect a person's right to hate, just not to act on those hates. So if a person acts on that hate, why should we then take into consideration that person's hate as a reason for more severe punishment when before that hate is acted on it's okay?

This issue is important to me because I support LGBT rights, and agree with their agenda almost 100%, but hate crimes is where I'm not sure I agree and I would like some input. I actually used to support their stance on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard">Matthew Shepard Act</a> but I've heard some arguments that give me pause. I realize that if I support the Matthew Shepard Act I would essentially support all hate crime legislation, and I'm not sure that I do. :/