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Protection Of Hate Crimes In The United States

Decent Essays

Most people in the United States today are familiar with the idea of hate crimes, and there are. Of course, those who have been subjected to them. Simply put, a hate crime is determined to be, “… a traditional offense like murder, arson, or vandalism with an added element of bias.” (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2017) These prejudicially-based crimes target victims who belong to, or increasingly, are perceived to belong to, a particular group of people, such a race; a religious affiliation; gender identity; and sexual orientation. While legislation in this area does its best to balance the protection of victimized groups and persons, the law must also consider the rights and protections of the victimizer, as determined by the Fourteenth Amendment.

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