/* Am I A Pundit Now?: Is Hate Mail A Hate Crime?

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Is Hate Mail A Hate Crime?

You may have read about this story, where a young college student wrote 'hate-mail' to convince her parents the campus was unsafe. She wanted to transfer from Trinity International University to Jackson State, in Mississippi. Get this: she has been charged with a hate crime. Illinois is one of those foolish states that has hate crime legislation, that punishes thought and violates the equal protection of its citizens. It is not a crime itself, it is an enhancement of punishment for an underlying crime, that is how it works here. As if the motives of a guy who splits open your skull with a crowbar really matter. Clearly, this woman did not have the intent to inflict hatred on anyone while writing these letters. Her intent was to evade school. Moreover she is black: who were her intended targets? Other blacks, presumably, she was pretending to be a racist of some sort. Hate crime laws are just dumb, and should be repealed.

11:15 PM | | |