Hate Crime In America: Liberian Boy Beaten In Philadelphia

[MrFun]

I was using racism as an example.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by MrFun
Knowing the motivation of such crimes can help determine what kind of societal problems we are dealing with.

IF there was an unsually high level of beatings and murders of minority race members across the country for example, and it became endemic, then ignoring the motivations of those crimes means we would be ignorant of the societal problem.

Understanding and dealing with motivations of crimes does not equate with saying that a beating motivated by racism is worse than a beating not motivated by racism.

Yes, but creating a specific crime, with it's own penalties, to deal with beating up someone due to race rather than just generally beating up someone DOES equate to saying that a beating motivated by racism is worse than a beating not motivated by racism.

[SlowwHand]

I don't think the kid cares about motivation, if it's out of his control.
That is to say, he didn't somehow bring it on himself.
He's hurting just as bad, no matter the Why.

[The Mad Monk]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Was this a black on black crime or were the attackers some other ethnic group?

Funny how the article dosen't mention that.

[mrmitchell]

Yes. Being a hate crime makes any crime a whole level worse.

[Barnabas]

I agree with the concept of hate crime, killing someone because he is gay, or different religion, or different race is worse than killing someone for money.

Thats why in my opinion Hitler was worse than Stalin

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk


Funny how the article dosen't mention that.

It doesn't really matter. This doesn't sound like racism; more like xenophobia.

[The Mad Monk]

Perhaps.

Police said they were looking for three suspects in the attack - two male teens who could be students at Tilden and a man between 25 and 30 years old, who is believed to be the father of one of the other attackers.

The people who did this are still at large, but the news isn't providing any descriptions? That's odd.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Brachy-Pride
if he was wearing "ethnic clothes" then, probably, being foreigner and maybe muslim was more important than him being black.

Liberia is a Protestant country! Unless he's an immigrant from Nigeria or some other nearby state he's a decendent of freed American slaves.

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by mrmitchell
Yes. Being a hate crime makes any crime a whole level worse.

Why

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Oerdin


Liberia is a Protestant country! Unless he's an immigrant from Nigeria or some other nearby state he's a decendent of freed American slaves.

Actually most the the inhabitants of Liberia aren't descended from freed American slaves, though obviously some are.

[Gangerolf]

did anybody else read that as "liberterian" at first glance?

[Kuciwalker]

Yes.

[Sikander]

me too

[The Mad Viking]

1 reason why hate crimes are worse.

Threat to society.

If someone beats someone up because they were cheating with his wife, there is a ver finite number of possible victims. (n/a if he is married to Paris Hilton)

If someone commits a hate crime, there are a large number of possible victims.

I would also suggest that the actual crime is indicative of a harmful pattern of behaviour to the target of hate, that may well of included other illegal acts. Very likely to be perpetrators of harrassment and discrimination, very likely to have committed minor assaults in the past - dropping a shoulder into someone and trying to incite them to fight, etc.

Maybe what I'm trying to say is that these people are scumbags...