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Hate is immoral
To the Editor:
What's immoral and unconstitutional about "hate crimes" laws? Just about everything.
They decree which favored or feared groups will receive special treatment, declare certain thoughts to be thought crimes, and force what should be agencies of fair even-handed justice to engage in mind-reading. Those in favor of these concepts ought to go someplace where they'll see what it's really like to live under them, like the US or USSR of 1953, South Africa of 1960, Afghanistan of 2000, or today's North Korea. Or at least read "1984"--probably for the first time--until they understand it.
Overt actions or statements that are more dangerous to society than such laws, such as assault, making terrorist threats, battery, and planting bombs, are well-covered by existing laws. And those who want laws protecting them from ever having their feelings hurt should be advised to quit whining, grow up and deal with it.
Doug Finley
San Pablo
