the assault on the specific victim and the threat to the community s/he represents to the assaulter.

I am willing to be educated about the notion of a hate crime, but it's still very fuzzy to me. It's possible that the (hypothetical) Chinese community could feel a specific threat where none was intended.

Sorry I couldn't resist.

But I don't want anyone to think I'm making light of violent crime. I really think all acts of violence are horrific and should be punished to the full extent of the law.

Lynchings are a classic example. If you drag a black man through the streets because he allegedly did something you're making it very clear to other black men that things like trials and justice don't apply to them.

That's a good example, Trudy. But in that case, lynching a man should in itself earn the murderer(s) a full prison sentence, shouldn't it?

Oh yes. And nowadays it generally does (though of course it didn't used to).

Lynching is the extreme example. Burning a cross on someone's lawn though... is it just property damage? Or is it a larger threat to a community?

I think once it is murder--the additional charge of hate crime might not be useful. But in the case of beating or cross burning it can add time

The cross-burning is interesting. You're right, it's more than trespassing or property damage.

And yet... I feel like maybe we shouldn't prosecute people for what is in their heads.

Philosophically, I am uncomfortable with the idea of thought crime. But then of course there are things like cross burning, so.

Timelies all!

My deepest sympathies on your loss, ND.