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Originally Posted by MrSelfDestruct
Am I the only one who finds the legal category, "hate crime," a bit absurd? Why do two motives for otherwise identical crimes deserve different sentences?
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To answer your question simply, because hate is displeasing.
If someone kills someone to obtain money, they are convicted of murder but the motivation is the same as the motivation of many people: to obtain wealth. There is nothing displeasing about the motivation. The act is displeasing and they are punished for it.
If someone kills someone because that person is gay/black/white/etc, they are convicted of murder AND the motivation is divergent from society's accepted standards. The act is displeasing and the motivation is displeasing, and they are punished for both.