Hate Crime Laws Unnecessary

A friend sent me a link to this piece by Matt Barber: "'Gay' Goliath Lobs Dud at CWA; Aims for Clever, Lands on Silly."

It's important to note that the two thugs who robbed and murdered Shephard are now serving life in prison apart from any 'hate crimes' law, proving once again that such laws are entirely unnecessary if not completely unconstitutional. Equal justice under the law is guaranteed, and equal justice was received.

The piece is about the fake case behind a recent push for "hate crime" legislation. But the quoted paragraph above perhaps says it best why "hate crime" laws are not only bad philosophically, but are completely unnecessary.

If a person is assaulted, murdered, or whatever, it doesn't matter if the motive was because of skin color, sexual affiliation, or whatever. A crime is a crime, regardless of motivation, and perpetrators should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, regardless of why they did it.

Adding a "crimethink" law to the books won't make anybody safer or result in any greater justice.