I agree completely. What worries me about this type of legislation is that it's necessary to get into the "mind-set" of the criminal. It's about prosecuting motivation, not intent. And if motivation can be illegal why not prosecute the source of that motivation? We would have a jury deciding whether a preacher's words (or anyone's for that matter) could be criminal. Intent and motivation are two different things. Hate crime laws go after someone on the basis of a thought crime, possibly making certain beliefs criminal. A DANGEROUS road to go down!

Dianne Dimond asks:"That said, why should an attack on a homosexual or a minority be worth more punishment than a similar attack on a regular Joe?"
The answer is that-- to liberals, some victims are more important than others.

HATE CRIMES? do you know what that means? I find you (DIanne) to be one of the most,hypocritical person
in the World.....judgemental....for sure...,factual writer(reporter)whatever you want to call yourself...BS
I will tell you what you are.....A RACIST WANNABE .................WHAT GOES AROUND ,COMES AROUND....

she should talk about hate crimes when she's the racist bitch that attacked Michael Jackson the way she has for the past 17-18 years she is singlehanded in getting Michael addicted to them pain meds