By:  LINDSEY O’NEILL, ESQ.

As reported in the media, James W. Von Brunn wanted the world to know the depth of his hate by opening fire with a shotgun at the patrons of the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C.  Unfortunately, hate-driven crimes such as this are not uncommon.  According to the FBI, law enforcement agencies reported 7,624 hate crime incidents involving 9,006 offenses in 2007 alone (more recent data not yet available). 

A “hate crime” can be any crime (like murder, arson, assault, or burglary, etc.), but which is motivated by the offender’s bias or prejudice against a particular race, religion, disability, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.  As distinguished by the FBI, though, “hate itself is not a crime,” since every citizen has the freedom of free speech and to have their own opinions.  But when a prejudice, anger, disregard, disrespect, or other “hate” for someone (or a class of people) to inflict harm or engage in violence, that hate-motivated crime is a “hate crime.”

Hate crimes and terrorism and hate-motivated threats have been more in the forefront of our minds, perhaps, since 9/11.  Though, brave men and women have been combating those evils in the background for many years as such hate crimes are not new.  It is on days like this that I am again reminded of those brave men and women in law enforcement who dedicate their lives to resolving these threats.

If you’ve been a victim of a hate crime, or other crime victim, visit LawInfo’s Free Legal Resource Center to learn more about crime victims’ rights.  You can also find an attorney or a private investigator at LawInfo as well.  www.lawinfo.com.