Assignment:
On October 6, 1998, a college student named Matthew Shepherd was brutally murdered in Colorado because he was gay. The murder brought attention to hate crimes and helped increase penalties on these types of crimes.
One of the arguments against hate crime laws is that hatred as motivation for a crime is difficult and costly to prove.
Do you agree? Why? . Do you think hate crimes are common in U.S.? Why? What are some of the difficulties and complexities involved in prosecuting a hate crime case? Discuss the pros and cons of placing penalties on hate crimes.
Analyze a recent case of hate crime that you might have come across. Do you think the judgment was rightfully given in that case? Why?