Hate Crimes Case Study

In the case of Billy Jack’s murder, it should irrefutably be declared as a hate crime. Hate crimes can be driven by prejudice towards a person’s ethnicity, color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or disability. Billy Jack was murdered violently due to his honesty regarding his own sexuality; homosexuality was frowned upon in the state he resided in. We are all different in the way we look, act, speak, think, and feel. These two men encountered Billy Jack and came to realize that he was different from them in the aspect of his sexuality, but rather than taking the challenge to learn about Billy Jack and hopefully come to someday accept and respect the characteristics that make him different, they took it upon their own hands to end his life.
A decade later, the Hate Crime Prevention Act was passed. This means that the FBI is now allowed to study and investigate hate crimes that are possibly targeted towards an individual from the LGBT community. Those who have been victims of a sexual orientation hate crime can now be assured that if the offender if found guilty, he absolutely will be facing federal charges.
Communities, institutions, and even religion can perpetrate hateful attitudes and actions. When you live in a community surrounded by any negativity that leads to prejudice or violence, you can either psychologically …show more content…
The basis of hate crimes starts with an individual who treats someone unfairly due to a person’s background. While some members of congress or individuals in the government might not agree with gay marriage in their personal lives, it doesn’t make it right to judge and deny their rights as citizens. As human beings we should all feel called to accept each other for our differences, especially in the United States, because isn’t that what this nation stands for? This is a nation built on Freedom; Freedom of speech, to practice religion, and now the freedom to love who we choose to