by Kim Everett

Created on: August 19, 2008   Last Updated: January 19, 2009

The fact that there is a need for a "hate crime" classification is both heartbreaking and maddening. It is impossible for any compassionate, loving person to comprehend the fact that anyone could exist with the level of hate in his/her heart that would render them able to commit such loathsome crimes. Unfortunately, the fact that these people do exist is proven over and over again.

Last month, two men allegedly attacked a gay man in the Oak Lawn area of Dallas, an area that is known to have a large gay population. The victim, 50-year-old Jimmy Dean, was taken, unconscious, to Parkland Hospital.

The men allegedly admitted to committing the crime and continued to make bigoted slurs about the victim's sexual orientation even after being subdued. According to a local news interview with Senior Corporal Janice Crowther of the Dallas Police Department, they commented to detectives that they chose Mr. Dean because they felt that a gay man would be easy to rob. Even though the police are still investigating and have not yet classified this as a hate crime, there is nothing about it that doesn't reek of hate.

Wikipedia.com's definition of a hate crime is as follows: "Hate crime (also known as bias motivated crimes) occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, or political affiliation. Hate crime can take many forms. Incidents may involve physical assault, damage to property, bullying, harassment, verbal abuse or insults, or offensive graffiti or letters."

Of course I found this news story disturbing, and I was outraged when I heard it. But in a very short time, my anger became mixed with sadness and heartbreak. It is impossible to imagine what right the perpetrators of these despicable crimes think they have in deciding how another person should live, or whom they should love, or how they should worship. It is beyond my comprehension where they could get the mistaken impression that they have the right to judge or to punish others.

I cannot help but wonder what group will be added to the hate list next. Will it be overweight people, or short people, or maybe people with green eyes. These make as much sense as the groups currently being targeted - which is obviously no sense at all.

This is not what the United States of America is supposed to be about. Every citizen is meant to enjoy the freedom to think and be whatever he/she chooses, without hurting anyone else in the process. Technically, even the people who hate specific groups, colors, ethnicities, etc. have the right to hate. But they do not have the right to harm them. Everyone in America has the right to disagree with alternative lifestyles, differing political views, and different cultural beliefs. However, disagreeing is a far cry from hate and violence.

It is time, I believe, for people to remember that this country was founded on Christian principles, and these principles do not harming others.

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