April 28, 2009 8:35 PM BST
Well, I was being a tad facetious. Of course you're right, Ann, it won't change people's minds and it certainly won't deter anyone who decides to beat up on some poor tgirl who may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. But it may add another layer of punishment to people who commit those sorts of crimes. And I do appreciate how far we have come, each little step makes people more aware and who knows, maybe someday we can just be ourselves, whatever that may be, without fear of ridicule or assault.
I missed out on getting a pic of the sunshine, hopefully it will peep out again this weekend. Right now the weather is back to "normal", rainy and cloudy in other words.
Hugs...Joni Marie
April 29, 2009 1:22 PM BST
I believe that, while some laws can be ineffective (making it illegal to have a gun won't stop someone willing to risk murder charges) others do have a positive effect. Hate crime laws are among these:
1. They make it specifically clear to some that these groups ARE included in those laws protecting others...just in case they thought it was ok to harm a "perv".
2. They make it less likely a jury will acquit based on the nature of the victim.
3. Many people who see a law that says you may not harm the member of a group physically may feel social pressure extending to not harming them verbally, economically, etc. These things spread in a society once the threshold of acceptance is breached.
4. Being the member of a hate crime protected group may make your defense easier to have accepted by a jury if you defend yourself against such an attack.
Just don't count on it always protecting you. Be Safe. Be Smart. Learn to protect yourself. It's easier to avoid an attack than fight off an attacker, but a loud, determined defense can save you even if you are weaker than your assailant. Don't yell "HELP", yell "FIRE".
