Apparent "hate crime" in Seminole County, Florida

[joeydb]

Originally Posted by Riot

Joey ... Zimmerman is on tape calling Trayvon, "f.u.c.k.ing coon", and the kid wasn't doing anything but walking down the street while black, let alone beating a victim he dragged out of a car with a hammer.

That is being investigated as a hate crime, as it should be. "F.u.c.k.ing coon" is a racial epithat. It's not being investigated as a hate crime just because the murderer was a different color than his victim.

So without a tape recording, there is no hate crime? What about the point made above, that the car was not the motive for the crime?

We don't know what was said to whom in the case of the hammer beating. If, and I stress IF, the victim was selected because of his race, it is a "hate crime"

Incidentally, I don't think "hate crimes" should be punished any differently. Murder is murder. If Zimmerman killed Martin in cold blood (no self-defense as he has asserted) he should get the sentence comensurate with the crime. If pre-meditated, he could get the death penalty.

Same with this other crime. If they pre-meditated to go after a caucasian violently, and if the victim dies, electric chair time.