In 1844, a hate-filled mob shot and killed Joseph Smith. Their hatred stemmed from bigotry against Smith for his leading The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. The assassination came amidst a slurry of other hatred-motivated crimes?arson, destruction of property, theft, assault, rape, murder?against members of the LDS Church.
Local and national government did nothing to stop the crimes. On the contrary, the governor of Illinois signed an Extermination Order, in which crimes perpetrated against members of the LDS faith weren?t only legal, but openly encouraged.
Yet the man who threatened to assassinate LDS President Howard W. Hunter in 1993?an act which, if successful, would have opened a 150-year-old scar for Latter-day Saints everywhere?was not punished any harsher than had he threatened William Shatner at a Star Trek convention.
For you see, Utah has no hate crime legislation, regardless of the fact that most of its population and legislators are LDS.
Hate crimes don?t only hurt the immediate victim(s) of the crimes and those close to them. They hurt everyone who belongs to the targeted group, whether that group is codified according to religion, race, nationality, sex or sexuality.
Many opposed to hate crime legislation are so because they perceive it would protect only minorities. They think it would punish white-on-black or hetero on-homosexual crimes, but not the reverse.
That?s not true. Everyone is protected by hate crime legislation. That is why it?s so perplexing that the largely LDS community?a religion whose history contains the above mentioned persecution?is not in favor of hate crime legislation.
In his last speech to the Utah State Senate, Sen. Pete Suazo swore that he would continue to fight for a hate crime bill. At a panel held in Suazo?s honor, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and others added their voices to Suazo?s.
Shurtleff?who has two adopted Hispanic-American children? sees a legal precedent for punishing hate crimes. The law already punishes premeditated crimes more than those considered ?of passion.? If you plot and plan killing someone, the law is more severe with you than if a momentary, emotional shock propels you into something you otherwise would not have done.
In short, the law already maintains not all crimes are created equally. Some are worse than others.
There?s nothing momentary about hatred and bigotry. Hatred was a propellant for Nazi executioners and is one for jihad terrorists.
In the United States, and in Utah especially, there is no place for tolerating hatred. Legislation should be in place to increase the punishment for those who commit such criminal acts.