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IS THE GANG RAPE OF A LESBIAN A HATE CRIME?

Richmond police are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of four men who allegedly kidnapped and gang raped a lesbian Saturday night, Lt. Mark Gagan said today.

Police are investigating the attack as a possible hate crime, Gagan said. The assault began at about 9:30 p.m. The victim, a 28-year-old woman, was getting out of her car when she was confronted by four men. "She was beaten, she was robbed and she was sexually assaulted," Gagan said.

A few minutes into the sexual assault, one of the men told the group that someone was approaching and they forced the victim into her car. They took her to a desolate area and continued to sexually assault her, Gagan said. "The victim was physically and sexually assaulted numerous times," Gagan said. During the attack, which lasted for about 45 minutes, the suspects made several statements about the victim's sexual orientation, Gagan said.

The victim also had a rainbow sticker on her license plate that identified her as being supportive of the gay community, Gagan said. After the attack, the suspects fled in the victim's car, leaving her there naked, Gagan said. She was able to get help from a nearby resident, who called for police and an ambulance. The victim's injuries were serious, but "the extent of the emotional trauma rivals the extent of the physical trauma," Gagan said.

Although the four men participated in the attack to varying degrees, they are all being sought on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, carjacking, kidnapping and rape in concert with an enhancement for committing a hate crime.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28319437

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{ For the record I think it is and I support hate crime legislation. I believe sentences of criminals should be considerably increased for hate crimes and crimes where a gun is used. I think the extra time may prevent the crime. I know many people disagree with me but after reading the above can there be any doubt that this was indeed a hate crime?

Hate crimes are often atrocious and horrific and extremely violent. Especially against the gay community. One need only read the news about people being beaten, mutilated and even hung on fences and left to die to know what a catalyst hate can be for acts of violence.

Many people claim the death penalty is needed as a deterrent to protect society and yet do not believe in hate crime legislation that protects the most vulnerable in our society. Why is that?

Some argue that "hate" is too hard to define and free speech could be infringed but hateful free speech doesn't rape and murder. Can anyone give an example in any of the states that have hate law legislation where some one has been tried for "hate speech"?

What are the arguments for and against hate crime laws? Would you support such legislation? If not why? If so...why?

What do you think?}

I think random acts of violence and targeted violence yields the same results, wounds and/or death (would I hurt any less if someone beat/raped me because I have blonde hair? Would I hurt more?). I don't agree with hate crime laws because they target thoughts, and we don't need any thought police running around deciding why we did something and whether or not it merits more or less punishment. We have laws against all manner of barbaric behavior, they just need to be enforced.

Very interesting replies.

I would like to know if hate laws are a deterrent? That is important to me at least. If they are I would continue to support them. If not.........I wouldn't. Some claim free speech will be threatened by hate laws? I don't see any evidence that free speech has been a victim of hate laws anywhere in the United States. I think that's a red herring.

I think minorities need protection and I think societies are judged on how well they take care of their minorities. What harm do hate laws do? If they work as a deterrent I think they would be very positive. After all the death penalty is supposed to be a deterrent and in some states extra time is added if you use a gun while involved in a crime. Is that mot ample evidence that at least some states think it will prevent murders or guns being used in crimes?

Some claim a rape of a woman without "hate" being a condition will somehow be seem to be of less value if a conviction and more stringent sentence is handed out if "hate" is a condition of the rape. I don't see it? If a guy robs a store without a gun and then robs another store with a gun and is convicted and sentenced for both crimes then an extra year is added to his sentence because of the gun used in one robbery....does that mean the store owner who was robbed without a weapon is somehow of less value that the victim the gun was used against?

Robbery is robbery and rape is rape? I don't think so. Some cases are worse than others and more stringent sentences should be handed out depending on the circumstances.

The rule of law needs to be objective. IMO, hate crime laws open the door to vengeance sentencing.

Some cases are worse than others and more stringent sentences should be handed out depending on the circumstances.

that option is already in place for any crime. For instance: say the sentencing for robbery is 10-25 years in prison. the judge has the option, depending on the circumstances, right? Armed robbery: 25 years to life. Just examples. I'm not sure of the exact guidlines.

And, yes, I believe the man robbed at gunpoint was in more danger. He could have been killed. It's not about the "value" of the victim, but the severity of the crime. You are mixing the two. If we start evaluating victims to determine the punishment for the criminal, our courts will be even more bogged down.

I agree with oskar, the rule of law needs to be objective.

What is "vengeance sentencing"?

Yup, this is a hate crime alrighty!

Any gang rape is a crime. A gang rape of a minority is a hate crime. Our nation's laws established this a long time ago.

Our nation's laws established this a long time ago.

Where, when and by whom?

If you want blatant examples of hate crimes in the US you might want to start with the differences in sentencing for Blacks vs Whites for similar crimes. Or rich vs. poor.

Instead of introducing emotional arguments via "hate crime laws" as a method of imposing harsher sentences, address the damn hate-based system itself.

Wife shoots philandering husband yelling, "I hate you", as she does so.

Obviously, she should get a far more serious sentence since that would be a "hate crime" even though she has never had so much as a parking ticket in her entire life.

On the other side of the coin, are there so-called "love crimes"? I think not. Even if you don't actively hate someone (or the group they belong to), at the moment of the violent crime, you must. Otherwise, you couldn't do it. We all have it in us to commit such a crime. A so-called crime of passion. So, I still say you cannot put a value on the victim. You must evlauate the severity of the crime alone. Civil suits are in place to put a "value" on the victim. Compensation and such. JMO

Thanks, Jan. More indication that these "hate crime" laws are irrational.

And isn't it rather odd that "hate speech", which can advocate "hate crimes", is protected under the First Amendment?

I must also ask: Is the gang rape of a heterosexual female a hate crime? My answer is a resounding YES!

No one would call that a "whole lotta lovin' goin' on".

Following the reasoning of the OP, that victim isn't part of a minority group so has less "value". Therefore the punishment should be less severe? I think not.

All rape is a hate crime in my opinion...rape is the deliberate humiliation, subjection, and objectification of woman. Not much else to say...

Then it isn't rape if a man forcibly has sex with an unwilling woman he truly loves but who can't stand him? Do all three conditions---humiliation, subjection, and objectification (what does "objectification" mean anyway?) have to be met for the activity to be rape?

Does all sex involve humiliation of women but only if the humiliation is "deliberate" is sex rape?

This is all so confusing I'm almost to the point of giving up on sex entirely and becoming a monk but then there would still be unchaste thoughts. I know that Jesus Christ and His little buddy Jimmy Carter spoke of lusting after women in their hearts; were they talking about hate fantasies?

Some folks like to sigh,
Some folks do, some folks do;
Others long to die,
But that's not me nor you.

Long live the merry, merry heart

          That laughs by night and day
           Like the Queen of Mirth,
           No matter what some folks say.

Some folks fear to smile,
Some folks do, some folks do;
Others laugh thro' guile,
But that's not me nor you.

Some folks fret and scold,
Some folks do, some folks do;
They'll soon be dead and cold,
But that's not me nor you.

Some folks rape and lie,

Some folks do, some folks do,

Prison's too good for them,

It's not for me or you.

Rape is a hate crime. Rape of a lesbian is a double hate crime.

What if a man were tortured so he was unable to have sex because of psychological or physical trauma to his genitals? What should the punishment for that be?

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