Hate Crimes Legislation

Paper Summary:

This research paper discusses the nature and incidence of hate crimes in the United States and laws that have been enacted or proposed to deal with them. Although the evidence is not conclusive that the number of hate crimes has actually increased in recent decades, their frequency suggests that racial, ethnic, and other minorities have been threatened by them. The response has been a rash of legislation at state and federal levels, much of which is of questionable effectiveness. The paper shows that this legislation should be understood as being an outlet for society's frustration with hate crimes and as an exercise in political symbolism, rather than as a serious attempt to deal with the underlying problems involved.

From the Paper:

"Federal hate crime legislation has also been adopted and/or proposed. In 1990, the Hate Crimes Statistics Act, which requires the Justice Department to keep statistics on hate crimes and to make annual reports thereon, sailed through Congress without serious opposition. In 1994, an amendment to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act passed, under which the punishment for violation of an already existing federal crime could be enhanced if it could be shown that the crime was committed out of motives of hate or prejudice."

More papers on Hate Crimes Legislation:

• Persuasive Essay # 110014 : "Hate Crime Legislation"
• Research Paper # 58746 : "Battling Hate Crimes in America"
• Term Paper # 110973 : "Hate Crimes"

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