@htownbrown said:

Fine. His mom just dropped him off at McDonalds to spend the weekend with a stranger/kidnapper that just happened to go to his school. I guess it is just a spectacular speculation to assume they were friends.

@axe said:

Ha! Wouldn't surprise me. If he had a son, he would look just like him.....

@erie-dawg said:

I haven't seen this anywhere but from you.

I'm going to chalk the numerous narratives you are claiming up to hyperbole at this point.

Fine. His mom just dropped him off at McDonalds to spend the weekend with a stranger/kidnapper that just happened to go to his school. I guess it is just a spectacular speculation to assume they were friends.

@westside-steve said:

So Ariel Castro's crime was less heinous because it wasn't a hate crime? What kind of bullshit logic is that folks?

WSS

Well steve there was a time in this country when attacking a black or gay person, in some parts of the country not all, was considered good weekend sport or a nice mid work week respite from the daily grind. And these local areas were more apt to look the other way entirely or apply some vastly lesser sentencing. Thats the ugly part of our history.

So thats why federal hate crime legislature came to be. So when some local judge gave a few boys on the varsity football team a pass for some shit, the feds could now come in with their own charge cause they cant retry on the previous charges.....

@oldbrownsfan said:

And you might be right WSS but I just find attacking someone for no reason than their race, religion, sexual orientation etc so repulsive..so against our free society that enhancements as a deterrent are not a bad idea...

I would also questions how much deterrent there is to people that are in fact sick bastards.

WSS

@htownbrown said:

They were, but I doubt it now

I'm going to chalk the numerous narratives you are claiming up to hyperbole at this point.

@westside-steve said:

And you might be right WSS but I just find attacking someone for no reason than their race, religion, sexual orientation etc so repulsive..so against our free society that enhancements as a deterrent are not a bad idea...

WSS

@clevfan4life said:

It is always despicable to see anyone attacked for no reason other than their race, religion, sexual orientation etc...and I like to see the enhancement on these type crimes as a deterrent.

@clevfan4life said:

they were enacted for a good reason

Or you could just increase the punishments for all violent crimes and not worry about it. If I pummel an old lady, I shouldn't get saved a few years because I didn't mention her gender, race, or age during the assault.

@clevfan4life said:

On a side note, interesting to see the championing of hate crime laws now by some of you folks. Seems to me i recall sometime ago a discussion where alot of you thought they were pointless and shouldn't be applied. But now that we have a clear cut case the other way you guys are all about it?

They are fucking stupid. However, they are here and thus should be used accordingly and not just when the perp is a white guy.

Personally, I wish hate crime laws would go away. If someone commits murder, that alone seems plenty hateful enough.

@erie-dawg said:

Now they're friends? Who the hell spun that one up?

As for betting, no. I wouldn't put half a menthol on it. If O.J. got off anything's possible.

They were, but I doubt it now

@htownbrown said:

So getting kidnapped by a black friend is worse than being kidnapped by a white friend.....got it.

As for betting, no. I wouldn't put half a menthol on it. If O.J. got off anything's possible.

@erie-dawg said:

I agree with that but I'm not seeing all of these other narratives that you see. In my eyes it's cut and dry.

Does a woman kidnapped and beaten by her ex some how have it easier than the victim of a racist??

They're are equally shitty in the eyes of the lord right??

@htownbrown said:

What is the motivation? If anyone is kidnapped and tortured because of their race it means you have added a hate crime enhancement to your crime. They do the same with gun crime enhancements, if a gun is used in a crime the penalty gets enhanced just for having the gun.

@htownbrown said:

The motivation does mean something and that is why we have hate crime laws. If the motivation is just to attack someone because of their race, religion, sexual orientation etc. than there is an enhancement of the penalty. I agree with it. We want the word out that this crime in particular carries a stiffer penalty because of the motivation of the crime.

over political and racial bigotry, as long as it is blacks acting out.