May 17, 2012 -- 10:25AM, Tpaine wrote:

May 17, 2012 -- 9:32AM, teilhard wrote:

Monica Lewinski and Bill Clinton ... ???

;-)

May 17, 2012 -- 9:27AM, Marcion wrote:

May 16, 2012 -- 3:00PM, Yavanna wrote:

May 16, 2012 -- 1:47PM, Marcion wrote:

Obama is setting his federal dogs loose to charge Zimmerman with a hate crime. Is he that hard up for votes to grasp at straws.

Hate Crime, now there's a politically correct liberal zinger.

For instance if an individual has deep loathing for another person and kills him; he can not be charged with a "Hate Crime" because his victim was neither black nor gay. Forget that the motive for the crime was hatred.

You do realize it's possible to commit a hate crime against a heterosexual caucasian right? Even one that's a Christian?

Reread my post. Hate crimes are limited to minorities and gays. Many blacks are Christian-what's your point?

Can anyone define a Love Crime?

+1

Give the man a cigar!

May 17, 2012 -- 10:53AM, Marcion wrote:

I find the whole hate crime idea as silly.

Really? The motivation for a crime is often one of the most important considerations in sentencing.  

And those crimes that are classified as hate crimes, which trigger enhanced sentences, are often quite frightening to an entire community. For instance, someone who spray paints a big red smiley face on a white street-facing garage door is committing a senseless property crime. On the other hand, when someone spray paints the word “NIGGER” on the garage door of an African American family, it provokes great concern, at the very least, among a whole community. It is particularly dehumanizing to that family, in a way that the big red smiley face is not. It has a much greater, more devastating, effect on both the family and the community than the smiley face. Right?

May 17, 2012 -- 12:54PM, mindis1 wrote:

May 17, 2012 -- 10:53AM, Marcion wrote:

I find the whole hate crime idea as silly.

Really? The motivation for a crime is often one of the most important considerations in sentencing.  

And those crimes that are classified as hate crimes, which trigger enhanced sentences, are often quite frightening to an entire community. For instance, someone who spray paints a big red smiley face on a white street-facing garage door is committing a senseless property crime. On the other hand, when someone spray paints the word “NIGGER” on the garage door of an African American family, it provokes great concern, at the very least, among a whole community. It is particularly dehumanizing to that family, in a way that the big red smiley face is not. It has a much greater, more devastating, effect on both the family and the community than the smiley face. Right?

So, again, by that reasoning, if some thugs stage a home invasion at the mansion of a rich, white Republican family -- then that will have a devastating effect and lingering terror and anxiety on the rich, white Republican community. Therefore, rich, white Republicans should also have "hate crime" protections.

Bottom line as has been said many times...

Zimmerman was wrong.  Period.  If every single claim that Zimmerman has made about what happened that night turned out to be 100% true, Zimmerman was still wrong.  There is no way around that indisputable fact.  Martin didn't approach his car and attack him.  He followed Martin with a gun.  He was wrong and should be prosecuted. 

Now, we can debate about just how wrong he may have been and just what crime he should be prosecuted for, but there is no way around the fact that his poor judgment caused a young man to lose his life.  Period.  Next.

May 17, 2012 -- 10:53AM, Marcion wrote:

May 17, 2012 -- 10:39AM, Tpaine wrote:

May 16, 2012 -- 1:47PM, Marcion wrote:

Obama is setting his federal dogs loose to charge Zimmerman with a hate crime. Is he that hard up for votes to grasp at straws.

Hate Crime, now there's a politically correct liberal zinger.

For instance if an individual has deep loathing for another person and kills him; he can not be charged with a "Hate Crime" because his victim was neither black nor gay. Forget that the motive for the crime was hatred.

The definition of hate crime is:

hate crime : a crime that violates the victim's civil rights and that is motivated by hostility to the victim's race, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender. Link

Nowhere in that definition does it limit victims to blacks and gays.

What about a crime motivated by hate but not defined as a hate crime.

If a crime fits the definition of a hate crime it should be prosecuted as such regardless of who the perpetrator and victim may be.

If you're ever the victim of one we'll see if you change your mind.