News, Spray Painting Anti-Gay Slogans is Not a Hate Crime in Oklahoma. (Democrats, Republicans)

[bbkaren]

So if I dislike people with red hair and spraypaint "Get out of town, Pippi", is that a hate crime?

[StillwaterTownie]

No, because you're not threatening any violent acts if Pippi refuses to leave town.

[Bobilee]

I live in Philadelphia,, and a few months ago I was in the food court of the Gallery (10th & Market). A large man, with his family, passed me. He was wearing a t-shirt that read "The only thing worse than a ****** is a snitch". Basically, anyone who snitches on a drug-dealer is worse than a ******. He felt comfortable wearing it, and no one I saw challenged him. I am editing this post because City Data edited what I wrote. How can anyone deal honestly with current issues when webmasters interfere with postings. The starred ***** parts of my post are eff a gee gee oh teee." How adult we are when we have to do things like this.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by bchris02

There are a few states the media won't report anything good about and will only report news to re-enforce a negative stereotype. I notice this mostly with Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, and West Virginia.

There is usually nothing to report from any of those places except an occasional tornado or mine accident. If you wanna know what else going on there you can watch RFD TV or Jerry Springer and get all the juicy details.
Oklahoma and Arkansas are both sliding backwards into the abyss. West Virgina, Kentucky and Alabama remain in the abyss. Mississippi is trying to modernize (they do have casinos and have actually finished I-22 unlike Alabama).

[BilleeBob]

Originally Posted by karfar

Ok, so tell me, if someone decides to beat the crap out of someone to the point of near death, should they not be punished for it? After all, their thoughts led them to do it. Same w/people who abuse women, commit robbery, murder, etc. etc. etc., the list goes on. Not sure what point you're trying to make here, all crime happens because of someones THOUGHTS, correct?

If a white guy beats the crap out of a white guy he will be charged with assault.

If a white guy beats the crap out of a black guy he will be charged with assault and then charged additionally with a hate crime which carries additional sentencing.

The second crime was no more severe than the first yet the punishment will be more severe because some idiot in Washington decided people should be punished for their thoughts.

[brattpowered]

Originally Posted by oneworld25

Although, I believe that there are plenty of good arguments for and against hate crimes, in my opinion this is not the issue at hand with regards to this story. In my mind the problem is that Oklahoma has a hate crimes statute yet somehow gays are not worthy of protection from it.

You hit the nail on the head.

[brattpowered]

An act crosses the line from criminal to terroristic when it targets a specific group of people. It's ironic that most of the people on this board who are dead-set against gays being protected by hate crime laws are probably screaming "reverse racism" whenever they see a minority get ahead.

[akm4]

I wish this guy would move in next to me.

I can't imagine living in fear this way.

I have family in Tulsa, and there's a lot to love about the area, but this sort of attitude is commonplace there. So sad.

[bbkaren]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

No, because you're not threatening any violent acts if Pippi refuses to leave town.

If I threaten Pippi with violence, that is a crime. But again, it has nothing to do with my dislike for her carrot-colored locks. It's related to the threat.

So I'd be charged with vandalism and terroristic threats (or whatever the formal charges would be called). But not a hate crime? Why not?

Are only some kinds of people protected from being hated?

What about redheads? I think they're snotty an don't want one in my neighborhood.

[buildings_and_bridges]

Originally Posted by KevK

If you wanna know what else going on there you can watch RFD TV or Jerry Springer and get all the juicy details.

You know, it's fruitless for me to call you out on this stuff, because you do it again and again with no regard for other people, then you (sometimes) backtrack and try to claim you didn't mean it, which is bull. If you're going to be that ham-headed about it, I can't imagine why someone would bother to read and consider anything else you have to say.