What's Hate Got to Do With It?

Since I've been accused of suddenly taking an interest in hate crime legislation only because of my antipathy toward gay people, I thought readers might be interested in my 1992 Reason article on the subject, which is now available online as a PDF file.

Comments

[Guy Montag]

Some people can be overly sensative, dramatic to hysterical levels.

Right here on the virtual pages of H&R one Robert fellow was saying almost the same thing about me because I am against marriage. No, not against homosexual marriage, against all State sanctioned marriage. To him, it seems, my being against this haphazard method of property distribution was just a smokescreen to bash homosexuals, or something.

Go figure.

[Mr. F. Le Mur]

Go figure.
Maybe Robert meant that you're a racist because you're against open borders (IIRC), but got confused.

[Mike Laursen]

Well, thank you for not accusing your accusers of hating on you because you're Jewish.

[GILMORE]

...which raises the more interesting question of "Love Crime"

(cue glam rock intro)
Love Crime!!!

(power chord)

Committing, A Love Crime!!

Oooooooooohhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiii!!!

(speedy guitar licks, explosion of fireworks, and spandex clad men leaping upon the stage...)

Sorry about that.

I will probably get convicted of a hate crime at some point. I get angry. Must take happy pills.

[AndyJ]

"Hate" crimes are Thought crimes. When we start punishing what people think, who will be innocent? Punish the deeds. Punish what the hand does not what the mind thinks or mouth says... We do not need new "FEEL-GOOD' laws that try to show some politician "cares"... If they really care, fund more prisons. Cut back on social rograms and build more places to warehouse those who transgress... More laws only means more money for re-election... If they are "LEaders" why do they follow so often?

[de stijl]

I thought that Jacob got slagged for being a middle-aged white guy. You know - rockin' the suburbs, just like Jon Bonjovi did. Y'all don't know what it's like; being male, middle-class and white.

[Warren]

No no, the problem with Jacob is that he's a wing-nut conservative shilling for the Bush administration.

[Guy Montag]

Maybe Robert meant that you're a racist because you're against open borders (IIRC), but got confused.

[Guy Montag]

Trying again.

Maybe Robert meant that you're a racist because you're against open borders (IIRC), but got confused.

That would be some of Nick's fans.*

*Nick has never accused me of being racist for being pro-legal immigration/anti-illegal immigration, but he never terms immigration like that either.

[metalgrid]

Wow, posting at Townhall Mr. Sullum - did LGF not have an opening?

Sorry about that cheap shot, couldn't resist. Despite your consistency on the issue, some of your arguments in the PDF are full of holes - such as the implication that hate crimes may not be all that bad due to "positive outgrowths of the incident."

Then you go onto claim that "the promise of a liberal democracy is that members of minority groups will be protected from aggression, just like everyone else" and then conveniently ignore the equally valid argument that since no-one is spearheading a repeal of religion, race and national origin from hate crime laws, it is an equally valid argument to continually add other groups to the law to grant them equal protection. You come really close to it by recognizing the disparity in a crime against a Catholic church and an abortion clinic, but you miss out on the counter argument - lacking the public will to remove special protection from the Catholic church, the reasonable response would be to add the abortion clinic to the list so that they enjoy equal protection.

[KipEsquire]

The better question is why you tarnish your reputation by syndicating with TownHall in the first place.

[Guy Montag]

For some reason some people view "equal protection under the law" as something that does not have anything to do with the words between the quotes.

[pgt]

Actually I find it interesting to read postings at Townhall. I have found that over there the quality of a column is (in my subjective opinion) independent of, maybe inverse to, the quantity of comments generated.