Hate Crime or Not?

[Milkster]

Brandon McInerney, a 17-year-old driven by white supremacist beliefs, executed gay classmate, Larry King, at school with two gunshots to the back of his head, a prosecutor told jurors Tuesday in her opening statement. McInerney is on trial on a charge of first-degree murder in the Feb. 2008 killing. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.

[blkswrdsmn]

Sad, but no such thing as a hate crime in my opinion. According to current laws however, probably.

[Milkster]

Another one: (Can't get the video to embed from CNN)

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/crime/2...hate.crime.cnn

Jackson, Mississippi (CNN) — On a recent Sunday morning just before dawn, two carloads of white teenagers drove to Jackson, Mississippi, on what the county district attorney says was a mission of hate: to find and hurt a black person. In a parking lot on the western side of town they found their victim. James Craig Anderson, a 49-year-old auto plant worker, was standing in a parking lot, near his car. The teens allegedly beat Anderson repeatedly, yelled racial epithets, including “White Power!” according to witnesses. Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith says a group of the teens then climbed into their large Ford F250 green pickup truck, floored the gas, and drove the truck right over Anderson, killing him instantly. Mississippi officials say it was a racially motivated murder. What the gang of teens did not know was that a surveillance camera was focused on the parking lot that night, and many of the events, including the actual murder of Anderson, were captured live on videotape. CNN has exclusively obtained that surveillance tape. The group of teens that night was led by 18-year-old Deryl Dedmon, Jr., of Brandon, Mississippi, according to police and officials. “This was a crime of hate. Dedmon murdered this man because he was black,” said Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith. “The evidence will show that.” Asked if there could be any doubt whether the intent was to actually hurt and kill a black person, Smith responded: “No doubt about it. They were going out to look for a black victim to assault, and in this case, even kill.” Dedmon led and instigated the attack from early in the evening, he took part in the beating of Anderson, and Dedmon was also the actual driver of the Ford 250 truck that would serve as the murder weapon, according to officials. As the teens were partying and drinking miles away from Jackson that night, in largely white Rankin County, Dedmon told friends they should leave, saying “let’s go fuck with some niggers,” according to law enforcement officials. Then, the gang of teens climbed into Dedmon’s green truck and a white SUV Cherokee, and drove 16 miles down Interstate 20, to the western edge of Jackson, a predominantly black area. The teens would have seen Anderson immediately as they exited the highway, as the parking lot where he was standing is just beside the exit ramp. “This is the first business that you get to coming off the highway and so that was the first person that was out here and vulnerable,” said district attorney Smith. On the videotape, obtained and reviewed by CNN, the group of teens is seen pulling into the parking lot, and stopping where Anderson is standing, though he is just off camera and not visible. The teens can then be seen going back and forth between their cars and Anderson. Witnesses told law enforcement officials this is when the repeated beatings of Anderson took place. Dedmon pummeled Anderson repeatedly as he crumpled to the street, according to officials, though this is not visible in the videotape. Finally, after the beating some of the teens left and some got into the green truck. At this moment on the video, Anderson becomes visible, as he staggered into view and walked towards the headlights of the truck. The truck suddenly surges ahead, running over Anderson, then continuing at high speed away from the scene. Shortly after he allegedly drove the truck over Anderson, Dedmon allegedly boasted and laughed about the killing, according to testimony given by some of the teens to detectives. “I ran that nigger over,” Dedmon allegedly said in a phone conversation to the teens in the other car. He repeated the racial language in subsequent conversations, according to the law enforcement officials. “He was not remorseful he was laughing, laughing about the killing,” said district attorney Smith. Later that morning, James Craig Anderson’s family learned their 49-year-old brother and son died in a hit and run. Only later, when witness statements were taken did they learn the real horror. “It appears there is no doubt that this was a racially motivated killing,” said Winston Thompson, the attorney representing Anderson’s family. “The family is still in shock still in disbelief.” Smith and officials in the Hinds County District Attorney’s office say they plan to indict Dedmon for murder and a hate crime. Deryl Dedmon is thin, weighing a mere 130 pounds, and short — at 5 feet; he has straggly blond hair and piercing blue eyes. The teen, just 18 years old, has been charged with murder and now faces a possible double life sentence. Calls to Deryl Dedmon’s attorney have gone unanswered. During a bond hearing his attorney told the court he saw nothing to back up the “racial allegations.” At Dedmon’s home, a girl who answered the door pretended not to know him though the pick-up truck he allegedly used as a murder weapon sticks out of the family’s garage. Police say they returned it after the vehicle was processed. A second teen, 18-year-old John Aaron Rice, has been charged with simple assault, for his part in the beating his attorney also did not return calls. Neither teen has entered a plea. The other teens in the group have not been charged. And James Craig Anderson’s family has decided to remain silent for now, trying to come to grips with a crime they thought was in Mississippi’s past: the murder of a man just because he was black.

[Salodin]

He was killed because he was gay and that isn't a hate crime? I don't know if it's legally a hate crime, but that's only because no one knows how to deal with homosexuality legally.

[Takedown3]

why does there need to be a 'hate' crime, isn't crime just crime?

[Takedown3]

perpetuating racism and prejudice imo

[archibaldcrane]

Should he be punished worse than...being convicted of murder? I think that's harsh enough in America.

Hate crimes are stupid thought-police bullshit.

[solanis]

I don't see the issue with hate crimes anymore, do people go out and kill minorities because they get a stronger punishment for doing it? if not, it doesn't perpetuate racism and prejudice. minorities are at risk and we do live in a world in which they are maginalized, so arguing that it perpetuates a non-reality doesn't make much sense either. I used to worry about the thought-crime aspect of it, but all other crimes get judged based on intent, so meh. gonna have to get rid of all of those protections and measures too before you can complain.

sounds like it was definitely a hate crime by the legal definition of it.

[archibaldcrane]

The kid is looking at life in prison for first degree murder. Why does it matter if it is considered legally a "hate crime"?

(@ Milkster)

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[archibaldcrane]

http://www.time.com/time/nation/arti...714214,00.html

Interesting article about the gay experience in high school. Basically shows that fat kids or women or whatever are just as likely to experience harassment or get in fights for those "differences" as gay kids, which is great - and even those are 6-year old studies. Things are fortunately getting significantly better for gay kids growing up in America.

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[Day]

Pretty sure any time you take someone's life it is an act of "hate". Everything I was going to say has already been pretty much said. What was the initial argument for "hate crimes", is the punishment not harsh enough on assault and/or murder?

[archibaldcrane]

Also, this hate crime perpetrator was only 14 years old when he murdered Larry King. He's being tried as an adult. Do we need to stack even more shit onto this charge?

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[Uzor]

perpetuating racism and prejudice imo

The thing is, black people, homosexuality etc. should be treated equally in the eyes of the law. Thus, convicting someone for a "hate crime" directly treats them as "special" (and arguably; more important/of higher worth) than the rest. They're not "equal" in the court of a law if a white person killing a black homosexual gets a longer sentence than a white person killing a white person. If everyone should be treated equally - and everyone is equal, then there should be no such thing as a "hate crime". A murder is a murder, no matter the race or sexual preference of the victim.

There's only really three types of murder (excluding the extremely rare cases of a mother killing her children because she wants to "end their suffering"); the type done because you know the person and despise them (which can also be a white man killing her white exgirlfriend or her new boyfriend), or someone doing it out of indifference (such as a robber killing their victim when they, for example, fight back), and the mentally unstable person killing people for god knows what reason. In the majority of cases, the victim knows the offender - which is almost always why the police look in to who the victim has been in contact with.

[solanis]

Also, this hate crime perpetrator was only 14 years old when he murdered Larry King. He's being tried as an adult. Do we need to stack even more shit onto this charge?

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yes

The thing is, black people, homosexuality etc. should be treated equally in the eyes of the law. Thus, convicting someone for a "hate crime" directly treats them as higher or more important than the rest. They're not "equal" in the eyes of a law if a white person killing a black homosexual gets a longer sentence than a white person killing a white person. If everyone should be treated equally - and everyone is equal, then there should be no such thing as a "hate crime". A murder is a murder, no matter the race or sexual preference of the victim.

what do you think about mentally ill people who are treated differently because of their mental state? or people committing murder during states of duress, or the difference between plotting to kill someone and shooting them in the head, or doing it on a whim? or the difference between beating someone to death with a shovel vs poison? all of these are different under US law, should they all be the same?

[Tyrath]

He killed someone. What difference does it make if it was "hate crime" or just a crime. Either way, he should go to jail for a very long time.

[Day]

what do you think about mentally ill people who are treated differently because of their mental state? or people committing murder during states of duress, or the difference between plotting to kill someone and shooting them in the head, or doing it on a whim? or the difference between beating someone to death with a shovel vs poison? all of these are different under US law, should they all be the same?

and yet, none of these have anything to do with color of skin or if they like to suck dicks or not.

[Uzor]

what do you think about mentally ill people who are treated differently because of their mental state? or people committing murder during states of duress, or the difference between plotting to kill someone and shooting them in the head, or doing it on a whim? or the difference between beating someone to death with a shovel vs poison? all of these are different under US law, should they all be the same?

Mentally ill people is different, yes. But whether you killed someone with poison or a shovel doesn't matter imo; it's both murder. You could argue that if the murder took a long time and the victim was in a lot of pain that the offender should get a longer sentance - and I agree with that. But that's separate from murder; a murder is a murder - black, homosexual, mexican or otherwise. It's all murder and should be considered as such; adding "hate" to it as an imaginary intent is just stupid and in a way racist by itself, as it puts a difference on crime against colored and white people.

How is society supposed to ever become equal if the court of law treats crimes towards everyone outside of the norm special? They should just disregard the color of the skin and sexual orientation completely when they pass judgement.

Speaking of which; Does an Atheist killing a Christian get sentenced as a "hate crime"?

[solanis]

Mentally ill people is different, yes. But whether you killed someone with poison or a shovel doesn't matter imo; it's both murder. You could argue that if the murder took a long time and the victim was in a lot of pain that the offender should get a longer sentance - and I agree with that. But that's separate from murder; a murder is a murder - black, homosexual, mexican or otherwise. It's all murder and should be considered as such; adding "hate" to it as an imaginary intent is just stupid and in a way racist by itself, as it puts a difference on crime against colored and white people.

that's not how the law operates for any crime, though. it's very interesting that people only start protesting increased or decreased punishment with regards to hate crimes, and not when it's involving the role of intent/method/emotional state in any other crime.

[Day]

That's because one is bullshit and intent/method/emotional state make sense to include in punishment calculations.

[Uzor]

The intent doesn't matter; the intent was obviously to kill, and should be sentenced as such. What other possible intent could he have? Scare him by shooting him in the head?