Hate_Crimes__A_Country_Divided

Hate Crimes: A Country Divided “I have a dream that one day my children will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”. In the midst of racial turmoil, these powerful words were heard by millions. Dr Martin Luther King Jr spent his entire adult life fighting for justice, peace, and equality, and it seems we have not come a long way. Despite being in a new century, hate crimes amongst African Americans have not changed much. Church vandalism and bombings still occur, as well as burning crosses on home lawns and even murder. One of the most heart-wrenching one in recent years, took place in Jasper, Texas. The year, 1998. The victim, a black man. In June of 1998, a black man named James Byrd Jr., who walked with a limp was offered a ride by three white males. Instead of giving him a ride, they beat him maliciously until he died. After they were done, they dragged his lifeless body behind their truck until his body was partially dismembered. Criminalogist , Dr. Jack McDevitt says that “Hate crimes are message crimes. They are different from other crimes in that the offender hate, crimes, one, someone, years, people, much, being, because, white, said, pierce, message, matthew, different, born, america, 40000, year, seem, man, life, later, kill, just, jewish, internet, hitler, game, found, feel, died, color, bryan, black, been