Quote:
Originally Posted by LoveLakeLife
Major I think you’ll agree that there should be no such thing as a hate crime. Motive is not an element of any other type of crime because it’s unconstitutional to punish thoughts. I’ve always been amazed who such laws withstand scrutiny.
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So normally I go to reply to things I disagree with or find to be patently false on this forum but since I’m never logged in, the idea of actually remembering my user name and password stop me and I move on. However, reading this comment actually drove me to find my username and reset my password. To say “motive is not an element of any other crime” is incredibly incorrect. “Motive” is the difference between murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree, and manslaughter. The difference being that murder in the first degree requires “deliberate premeditation” aka motive. The thought in one’s head is the difference.
All that being said I do agree that, in general, the idea of legislating against the thoughts of citizens can be very troublesome. However we have come to the understanding, as a society, that it is required in particular circumstances.