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While I certainly do not condone the implications of the noose hanging in public, I do not think it should be considered a hate crime. A Crime is but is not limited to a physical violation of an individual, his property, or reputation. In my mind a hate crime is murdering an homosexual or a black person or a white person or any person simply on the basis of the killer hating them. That is a hate crime. I am unsure whether the person's hanging nooses around the country should be found guilty of anything because it is free speech in action. It is a symbol of hate that promotes the idea of lynching; and also exercising our freedom as Americans.

The American flag is a symbol of our freedom, democracy, and fifty united states. Burning an American flag is a crime; yet punishing someone for their beliefs is hypocrisy in a free society. If so and so burned the American Flag and was charged with the crime, how is his argument that the flag burning was an act of freedom in which he wished to express himself in burning the flag wrong. Always, freedom comes in measures; in any society from the start to present, there has never existed total freedom for citizens. Only in measures can a society ration freedom.

Because so and so hates black people and expresses his hatred symbolically, is there fault? The act itself morally is inarguably deplorable to ME because that is my bias of not hating races of people. Suppression of ideas or feelings only leads to corruption, destruction, or rebellion. The guy from Office Space "My stapler" suppresses and represses his feelings of maltreatment from his company and what happens? In the end he burns the building down. Freedom cannot be limited because to limit freedom negates it. Picture protesters picketing around the white house with signs reading "ABOLISH FREEDOM OF SPEECH." The intention of the picketing party is to negate their right to have rights. The act of the picketing would not be able to exist in that society if the governing party did in fact abolish freedom of speech.

Hanging nooses is a deliberate expression of hate to a specific audience. I do not believe it is a hate crime but a public demonstration of personal belief. "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Voltaire.

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