Hate Crimes

I have a problem with a crime being designated a "hate crime" because it involves an attack against a gay or person of color. I also have a problem with the description "person of color" because I am sort of pinky/beige and that's a color as far as I'm concerned.

Is it any less a hate crime if the person battered, raped or murdered is a straight Scandinavian? How about the woman beaten to death by her crazed husband just because she wants to leave him? Did he murder her because he felt love or hate at the time? And what about a straight but homeless man beaten savagely just because he's helpless. I don't see that as anything but a hate crime. Seniors are also chosen victims because of their frailty. Do the attackers feel love or hate when they kill them? I think it must be hate.

We have to be careful about giving preferential treatment to specific victims. If one of my relatives was killed during a robbery I wouldn't want the criminal to receive a second less in jail just because the robbery wasn't motivated by racism or intolerance. All crimes carry an element of hate or there wouldn't be any crimes committed.

Often a person is victimized simply because they're in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's just too easy to say that the victim was chosen because they happen to be gay or a "person of color". Some of the animals who prey on the defenseless will use any excuse to attack.

Criminals deserve punishment but the punishment should be the same whether the victim was a gay teacher or a straight waitress.