updating hate crime laws for the holidays
Hey Seattle: If you’ve been harassing homeless people and damaging their belongings but need an excuse to quit other than, you know, not being an awful human being, then the City Council has just the thing to help you achieve your goal. Yesterday, they added “homeless” to the list of classes protected by the city’s hate crime laws, effectively {and oddly, I think} equating homelessness with gender identity, marital status, political ideology, age, and parental status. [p-i ]
related:
- Dan Savage, on saxophone Santa and keeping one’s hands clean when giving money to people on the street [slog]
- the Urban Rest Stop
- Committee to End Homelessness in King County
why is it not a hate crime when an Afro-American assaults a Caucasian ?
Is a racial slur directed at a person a hate crime in itself?
or does it need to be followed up by physical assault?
I witnessed an Afro-American nearly run over a Caucasian with a car today? The Caucasian threw a plastic travel cup at the Afro-Americans car. The Afro-american got out of the vehicle and began threatening the Caucasian. Then the Caucasian and the Afro-american began to exchange words loudly. The Afro-American began physically assaulting the Caucasian. The Caucasian would not strike the Afro-American in fear of the hate crime laws, but only push the Afro-American away in attempt to not be hurt. The Caucasian was stuck in the face by the Afro-American after several attempts to do so.
Would this constitute a hate crime against the Caucasian?
Where would self-defense laws work in ones favor in this situation for the Caucasian?