When is a hate crime not a hate crime? When the police donÂ't write it down. When prosecutors take a different tactical approach. When a survivor doesnÂ't report an attack, or if he or she does report it, they neglect to mention the gay angle because who wants to come out to the police? When an attacker just attacks, knowing inside the rage is from anti-gay feelings, but nothing is said out loud.
Or, the attackers do shout their rage, but the victim does not survive. There is no one in the forest to hear their screams.
For the most part, documentation of hate crimes is a tricky business. In some cases, the actual hate-crime related charges are deemed irrelevant because they wonÂ't add anything to the sentencing of the attackers.
But recently, there has been a lot written about hate crimes coming from the point of view that if they donÂ't actually prevent crime, why bother to create the laws.
Well, we didnÂ't know so many people, including some pretty astute and highly paid legislators, needed a civics lesson. But maybe they didnÂ't realize that all of the laws against murder donÂ't help prevent that crime, either.
Hate-crimes laws are just one more tool in the attack on crime. Just like anti-drug laws and laws about speeding do not stop people, they are still necessary laws to help in the maintenance of a civil society.
Hate-crimes laws are not about violating free speech. But motive and motivation are important to know. First, because attacks on a segment of society for certain characteristics can create a chilling impact on a whole community. Also, because prevention efforts can be targeted to stopping these crimes before they occur.
All the angry young white men in the world will not be prevented from shooting up their schools if they continue to feel left out and laughed at. But knowing their motivations, knowing some of the reasons why they did what they did, might help to prevent the next attacks.
The same holds true for anti-gay hate crimes. By learning more about them, maybe we can help prevent similar attacks. Or, simply, by documenting every single hate crime, we can show more resources are needed in certain areas of town at certain times to create a more appropriate deterrent.
The police need to be more aggressive about documenting such crimes. Perhaps the police themselves will benefit mostâ€'by receiving more resources to help fight crime on all of our streets.
