Crimes [of Hate]
I am on a listserve for people involved and work for women's issues. One of the emails I received this week was concerning whether or not any violence against a woman would/should be considered a hate crime. If someone is targeted, just because she is s woman, similar to if an individual was targeted just because s/he is of a certain religious background, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, why shouldn't it be considered at hate crime?
The email author went on to say that she was at a seminar with the FBI concerning hate crimes and someone posed the question and the FBI, under unusual candor said something along the lines of, "If every act of violence toward women was considered a hate crime, the FBI wouldn't have enough officers to handle all the cases."
I recently invited my gay friend Ben (who is from Louisville) and his 2 friends from NYC who are coming into town for Derby to a farm party in Taylorsville (a small town in the boonies). He didn't explain his hesitation at coming to the party- but I heard this quote from him through a friend. "3 gay NY boys at a farm party in Taylorsville...that sounds like a hate crime just waiting to happen." I thought it was hysterical. In retrospect, is it ever okay to joke about hate crimes?
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