Introduction
It is important to note that there is a wide range and forms of criminal activities, and one should be aware of their specifics and intricacies. A functional society relies on being able to identify and eliminate such action through legal and restrictive measures. The given assessment will primarily focus on hate crimes and the latter’s definition, implications, and proposed consequences of committing such a crime.
Defining a Hate Crime
One should note that a hate crime is a specific set of criminal activities, which has a wide range of factors to consider in order to label or identify something in the given form of occurrence. The Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI defines a hate crime as a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity” (FBI, n.d., para. 4).
In other words, either or both person and property need to be attacked on the basis of the seven key factors listed above. The main reason why it is a hate crime is because it is conducted on the basis of hate and intolerance to parts of human life. If such actions are not prioritized and blended with other misdemeanors, then an individual right to freedom of choice and life will be severely diminished. Therefore, the latter statement means that the very foundations of a functional democracy can be shattered.
Hate Crimes Versus Non-Hate Crimes
Hate crimes should be punished more severely than non-hate crimes due to the potential implications of doing otherwise. These types of crimes affect the collective well-being and stability of a society, which means a hate crime committed against an individual by another person can potentially endanger or even escalate tensions between groups living in a nation. Hate crimes are committed based on biases, which is why no they are indicators of the overall tolerance within society. Hates crimes cannot be considered as isolated instances since it involves a member of one group attacking a member of another group, such as minorities.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is important to note that hate crimes are crimes committed on the basis of perceived or actual biases, which include seven key factors, such as gender identity, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, and race. Although some forms of non-hate crimes can be more violent and disruptive, hate crimes should always be more severely punished than non-hate crimes due to their collective implications.
Reference
FBI. (n.d.). Hate crimes. Web.