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One of those friends, later identified as 19-year-old Lauren Gibson, allegedly began stomping on a ‘Back the Blue’ sign in the area where the traffic stop was conducted. According to arresting documents, the woman crumbled the sign “in a destructive manner” before throwing it in a trash can, “all while smirking in an intimidating manner” toward the deputy.....
Gibson was arrested and booked into jail on charges of criminal mischief and disorderly conduct. According to arresting documents, “due to the demeanor displayed by Gibson in attempts to intimidate law enforcement while destroying a ‘Pro Law Enforcement’ sign the allegations are being treated as a ‘Hate Crime’ enhanced allegation.”
For the crime of reckless use of explosives or fire, 30-year-old Adolfo Martinez received one year in prison. For the crime of harassment, he received just 30 days. For the hate crime of burning an LGBT rainbow pride flag, Martinez received a full 15 years.
Criminal mischief and disorderly conduct, sure, but ... Are police a protected class?
According to the Article it is in Utah.
Quote:
According to Utah state statute, ‘status as a law enforcement officer’ is considered a personal attribute in which a hate crime enhancement allegation can be added to a charge.
Which makes sense. Even though 99.999% of the officers are good officers who follow all of the laws and procedures. Just because they are Law Enforcement Officers, they are subject to more Hate, Threats, and even Discrimination on a daily basis than most in the LGBTQ community will see in a lifetime.
How many times have we heard of stories of a Police Officer being denied services at a restaurant because they were a police officer and the clerk didn't want to serve them?
If it was just disorderly conduct or mischief she may be looking at 90 days in jail. But even with this enhancement, the maximum penalty appears to only be a year in jail. There are people that have done less to "Pride Flags" and murals who have been sentenced to multi-year prison terms. So yes even though it is an additional charge, it is still not equal with other "Protected Classes".
No, the punishment doesn't fit the crime. As much respect I have for Police and Law Enforcement, they are not in the same category as LGTBQ folks. They are an occupation not a class.
Welllll... I don't know? Police across the country are being targeted simply for wearing the uniform. It doesn't matter if a cop is male, female, white, black or brown, once that uniform is put on they are all seen by the haters as Blue and they are attacked.
When it comes to discrimination of the LGBQTIxyz folks those that discriminate against them do not care if it is a man or woman or X. The haters see them as a group.
We have heard the stories where gay people are targeted and where their Rights are violated say at a store that doesn't "serve their type" but we have also seen similarly small minded people refuse service to uniformed Police officers.
I don't think stomping on a sign rises to the level of a Hate Crime but it is destruction of private property. Still if a group of enraged idiots break up the gay pride parade that could be seen as Hate but then again the idiots that attack random Police just because of the uniform they wear and what they represent, as in law and order are also committing an act of Hate.
The Police is an occupation but with the way the haters view them they are a class.
That's obscene. I think that guy should be considered a political prisoner.
He is getting harsher sentence then rapist and in some cases murder. He wouldn’t of even been charged if it was a American flag. If anything a citation, but really not even that. Hate crime is physically hurting or killing someone for race, or being different, but stomping on a flag, no and I hope he is fighting it in court.
Imagine a country where burning a flag of one group of people gets you 16 years in prison and burning the American flag gets you.....nothing.
By the way, the Executive Director of the Iowa state LGBTQ advocacy group stated that "....true justice should always strive to be about rehabilitation, reconciliation, and healing communities. It is difficult to see how a 16-year prison sentence accomplishes any of those goal."
Meanwhile in other places, repeat offenders of violent crimes are out on the streets committing more crimes.
I agree with a lot of what you said, I have immense respect for Law Enforcement. Legally, they are not a protected class. Is it enraging? Absolutely. Is it hypocritical yes.
Protected classes are set by law, so they are whatever is determined by such laws as long as the laws themselves are deemed constitutional etc.
I can see how in the current environment that adding police as a protected class given the stories of abuse hurled at them, ambushes etc. could be a reasonable move but would need to be reviewed by the courts.
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