Hate crimes are violent crimes directed towards a person, based on his or her religion, race, gender, gender identity and disability. People of all ages can be targets for hate crimes. The perpetrators don't care.
Information found from The Leadership Conference shows that hate crimes in 2013, decreased from 6,573 to 5,982. This is the lowest number of reported hate crimes since 1991. However, these numbers don't account for the crimes that remain unreported.
Many victims can be hesitant to report these crimes out of embarrassment, because they "let it happen". This is not true! Victims of such hateful crimes should in no way be held accountable for being true to themselves. The aggressor and attacker needs to be held accountable for their horrible and malicious actions. Discriminating against and purposefully being violent towards an individual is unacceptable and should not be tolerated in our society, especially in this day and age, when people are so open about their differences and willing to share new ideas.
Hate crimes hinder people's willingness to accept and freely express themselves. They also allow other "haters" or violent and discriminative people to believe that it's okay to express and take their beliefs and anger out on another individual.
A majority of the hate crimes in the United States are racially based. Race and racial bias is a sensitive subject for many people in the United States, and more specifically, all over the world. These actions are inexcusable. I do not find a valid excuse for racism because, "you grew up in the south". Your hometown does not justify acts that you can commit to another human being.
In todays society, people have a mixture of reactions when they hear the name Caitlyn Jenner. Caitlyn, formerly Bruce Jenner, is a transgender woman. With her renewed sense of fame and being able to express who she truly is, Caitlyn is using a platform to bring to light the amount of transgender individuals who suffer from hate crimes. In May of 2014, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP), released a report that 344 transgender individuals were victims of hate crimes in 2013. An alarming 305 victim increase compared to the year before.
There are multiple examples of hate crimes, as well. Many centered around violence. The attackers assume beating the victims will force them to change their views and practices. Hate crimes also include targeting friends and family of a certain individual or group of people. I also views exclusions and refusal of service to be an example of a hate crime. If you are excluding someone because of their race, religion, sexual orientation or disability it is hurtful and hateful.
How can you help to prevent and put a stop to hate crimes in your community?
Start by setting good example for others around you, include as many people as you possibly can in social activities in the work force or school settings. Educate your friends! If you hear a bias remark, or comment, find an appropriate time to talk to the commentator. Educate them on how their remark was offensive and ways they can change the words they choose. Organize groups that talk about hate crimes, whether it be experiences or tips they have to educate the public. Talking with others in a group setting will allow you to be introduced to multiple cultures. Talk to individuals with differences, these differences can actually bring you closer together. Everyone is different, you can't always tell the first time you see or meet them, that's why you have to talk!
One of the most important things you can do is to reject stereotypes. These assumptions are hurtful. Judging someone by their appearance is one of the most ignorant things a person can do. You never truly understand an individual or their beliefs unless you spend the time to get to know them.
Hate crimes need to be brought to an end. I can only hope that this blog post informed you about the necessity there is in today's society to be socially aware and accepting of everyone's differences and beliefs.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Information found from The Leadership Conference shows that hate crimes in 2013, decreased from 6,573 to 5,982. This is the lowest number of reported hate crimes since 1991. However, these numbers don't account for the crimes that remain unreported.
Many victims can be hesitant to report these crimes out of embarrassment, because they "let it happen". This is not true! Victims of such hateful crimes should in no way be held accountable for being true to themselves. The aggressor and attacker needs to be held accountable for their horrible and malicious actions. Discriminating against and purposefully being violent towards an individual is unacceptable and should not be tolerated in our society, especially in this day and age, when people are so open about their differences and willing to share new ideas.
Hate crimes hinder people's willingness to accept and freely express themselves. They also allow other "haters" or violent and discriminative people to believe that it's okay to express and take their beliefs and anger out on another individual.
A majority of the hate crimes in the United States are racially based. Race and racial bias is a sensitive subject for many people in the United States, and more specifically, all over the world. These actions are inexcusable. I do not find a valid excuse for racism because, "you grew up in the south". Your hometown does not justify acts that you can commit to another human being.
In todays society, people have a mixture of reactions when they hear the name Caitlyn Jenner. Caitlyn, formerly Bruce Jenner, is a transgender woman. With her renewed sense of fame and being able to express who she truly is, Caitlyn is using a platform to bring to light the amount of transgender individuals who suffer from hate crimes. In May of 2014, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP), released a report that 344 transgender individuals were victims of hate crimes in 2013. An alarming 305 victim increase compared to the year before.
There are multiple examples of hate crimes, as well. Many centered around violence. The attackers assume beating the victims will force them to change their views and practices. Hate crimes also include targeting friends and family of a certain individual or group of people. I also views exclusions and refusal of service to be an example of a hate crime. If you are excluding someone because of their race, religion, sexual orientation or disability it is hurtful and hateful.
How can you help to prevent and put a stop to hate crimes in your community?
Start by setting good example for others around you, include as many people as you possibly can in social activities in the work force or school settings. Educate your friends! If you hear a bias remark, or comment, find an appropriate time to talk to the commentator. Educate them on how their remark was offensive and ways they can change the words they choose. Organize groups that talk about hate crimes, whether it be experiences or tips they have to educate the public. Talking with others in a group setting will allow you to be introduced to multiple cultures. Talk to individuals with differences, these differences can actually bring you closer together. Everyone is different, you can't always tell the first time you see or meet them, that's why you have to talk!
One of the most important things you can do is to reject stereotypes. These assumptions are hurtful. Judging someone by their appearance is one of the most ignorant things a person can do. You never truly understand an individual or their beliefs unless you spend the time to get to know them.
Hate crimes need to be brought to an end. I can only hope that this blog post informed you about the necessity there is in today's society to be socially aware and accepting of everyone's differences and beliefs.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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