When Politicians Commit Hate Crimes
What is most frightening is that, under the guise of patriotism, these people in the public spotlight are committing hate crimes. Such irresponsibility calls into question their judgment, their ability to fairly lead or speak for our diverse population, and their professed beliefs about what America stands for.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Time
Unfortunately, the words expressed by these hearts are even darker. What is most frightening is that, under the guise of patriotism, these people in the public spotlight are committing hate crimes. Such irresponsibility calls into question their judgment, their ability to fairly lead or speak for our diverse population, and their professed beliefs about what America stands for.
The U.S. Department of Justice describes a hate crime as “the violence of intolerance and bigotry, intended to hurt and intimidate someone because of their race, ethnicity, national origin, religious, sexual orientation, or disability.” The Bureau of Justice Statistics estimated the number of hate-crime victims in the U.S. to be over 250,000. And, though we cherish our right to free speech in this country, we also acknowledge that we are not entitled to say anything we want when it can cause others to be harmed. When those who have governmental authority, such as police, or who command wide attention from the public, such as candidates and pundits, express contempt for any group, it emboldens the bigots to crawl out from beneath their tree stumps to openly express their prejudices because they believe they have tacit approval from those in authority. Princeton economist Alan Krueger suggests one significant cause of hate crimes is the “official sanctioning and encouragement of civil disobedience.” Hate crimes occur when those in authority create an atmosphere of hate through their speech.
