Lot of attention on hate crimes, so perhaps worth a review of official statistics of whom such attacks are directed against. The statistics likely understate total numbers of events, but also are likely directionally accurate. You will note that contrary to the Bidementia administrations concern that we need a program to deter “Islamaphobia”, Jews experience a rate of hate crimes far higher than other groups, including Muslims. If you include racist, religion-based or ethnic sentiments as hate crimes, the rates would be much higher, and if you included white people and Asians, you would see extremely high rates of “hate” crimes directed at those groups. More interesting yet would be to see who is engaging in this behavior, where you will find that African-Americans are disproportionately hateful and racist, particularly toward whites, Asians and Jews. Facts are facts and ignoring them won’t help solve where the problem really lies.
Abhorrent as it can be, hate is not a crime. Hate can inspire a crime, but hating itself is protected by the First Amendment. I can hate whomever I want, but until I commit a crime, I should be free to have my own opinions.
Using the title of this piece, Hate Crimes, is inapt.
the phrase hate crime means that the crime, which is the same as any other crime of the same type, was motivated by hate for a particular group, so the hate isn’t the crime, but if it was the motivation there typically is an enhanced penalty for the exact same crime.