Crimes of hate

By Sofia Luna

It’s estimated that at least 1 hate-related crime is committed hourly in the U.S.  An average of 7,573 crimes are reported yearly, mostly targeting African-Americans and people of the LGBT+ community.

A hate crime is a criminal activity purposely targeting certain individuals of a specific race, religion, ethnicity, and/or sexual orientation due to personal hatred towards the victim.  There are 2 main concepts to explain the reasoning behind hate crimes. One of them being “thrill-seeking.”  Usually, the offender grew up in a troubled childhood, and is violent and aggressive, which leads to them demonstrating their aggressiveness that results in a crime.  The other concept is called a “defensive” hate crime where the perpetrator feels as if there is an “enemy” and may feel like a victim.

9/11 was one of the worst hate crimes in history, killing thousands and injuring even more.  Almost 16 years later, we still pay tribute to the 2,996 victims of this attack.  One of the most recent hate crimes over the years was the shooting at the gay nightclub, Pulse.  Forty-nine people were killed and to this day it is one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history.

Research has also proven that the number of hate-related crimes committed is quickly rising in large metropolitan cities.  This may be due to the fact that usually larger cities are more culturally and ethnically diverse than smaller towns.  Although crimes like these have not ceased to exist, America will fight for justice.  As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”