Hate Crimes In America

A twenty-year-old college student was brutally beaten, tied to a fence, tortured and left to die, Matthew Sheppard was his name and he suffered all of this because of his sexuality. This crime changed the way America saw and dealt with hate. However, these types of crimes, better known as hate or bias crimes, are not new to the nation. They are, sadly, a tragic part of American history. The term hate crime first appeared in the late 1980’s as a way of understanding a racial incident in the Howard Beach section of New York City, in which a Black man was killed trying to evade a mob of teenagers who were shouting racial labels. However, historically speaking hate crimes have been around since the 17th and 18th centuries when Africans were brought

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, about 70% of these attacks are against a person. “Many people perceive hate crime perpetrators as crazed, hate-filled neo-Nazis or "skinheads", but fewer than 5% of the offenders are members of organized hate groups. Most hate crimes are carried out by otherwise law-abiding young people who see little wrong with their actions”, states an article by the American Psychological Association titled “Hate Crimes Today: An Age-Old Foe in Modern Dress.” These crimes are generally committed because of real or perceived differences in race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, or gender. The offenses caused by these types of crimes can range from simple to aggravated assault, rape, and murder. However, it wasn't until late 1990’s early 2000’s that the federal government began to collect data on the quantity and kind of hate crimes being committed, and by whom. The offenders of these crimes are usually motivated to do them because of personal prejudice that is generated by the thought of people and things being a threat because they’re different. On the other hand, the victims are reluctant to report these crimes because of the fear of retaliation and because of the

It is possible that society can intervene to reduce or prevent many forms of violence, but insufficient information on what are hate crimes, their effects, why does it affect us and it’s importance. Many communities are not taking the necessary steps to inform and instruct people about these violations, which is why I believe that this would make a great research topic for this class. We can use this opportunity to inform ourselves of what a hate crime entitles and what we can do to stop them. We must all work together to make stop hate crimes, because the lack of knowledge and action against these crimes is leaving groups of people feeling isolated, vulnerable and worthless. In the power-filled words that were proclaimed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960’s "… we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream" (Martin Luther King Jr. 1963). These words were uttered in the midst of the racial unrest in the 1960’s; we should encourage communities to work towards terminating minority stereotypes, reducing the hostility present between groups, and encouraging broader intercultural understanding and