Hate Crime

The thing about hate is that it is an emotional expression. It is expressed when it becomes too overwhelming to keep only to oneself. When one's emotion becomes too much to keep, it ends up bursting out from one's body through language or actions. It's similar similar as to how we express love towards someone. We show it through language and actions. So, here, I see the conflict between how one can exercise their inherent freedom to express and the the enactment of a law against hate crime. When does hate actually become a crime?

@HaruLoid Yes, that's true. And you can hurt someone with words aswell as actions. But if you have something against someone for whatever reason it's best just to keep it to yourself. You'll only be hurting yourself in the long run. I think hate becomes a crime when you turn that hate into hateful actions (or words) that hurt people or have the potential to hurt people.

@sharonelton So, in terms of action, hate only becomes a crime when the recipient of such hate is wholly or partially being deprived of their right to life, limb or property. With regards to the verbal hate, however, is something found to be far more complex. Mere hurt or pain that the recipient feels from such verbal hate can be easily categorized then as a hate crime. So, basically, even a descriptive statement such as "The lights are too dim for anyone to see you." may or may not be categorized as a hate crime, depending on how the recipient takes it. This is something that I find to be within the marks of the borderline between hate crime laws and inherent freedom to express.

The prohibition of this kind of hate crime is very much justified and understandable because it impairs a person's right life, limb and property. The verbal kind, however, is quite complex. It makes us question when it can be considered as a hate crime since communication can be found under our freedom of speech and expression.

I hope so too. To know that a law actually exist in itself but only as a piece of paper is quite heartbreaking. Change wouldn't be done if that's the case.