Keeping it civil instead of returning to our dark ways

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Santorum
And even if there is an element of redressing old wrongs, so what. Doesn't the state have an interest in telling targets of hate crimes that old wrongs will no longer be tolerated? To take the most obvious example, a cross burning on a black family's lawn is a symbol of hate because it communicates to the family that there are people out there that hate the family. It is also a reminder -- and is placed there as a reminder -- that not so long ago, the government countenanced cross burning, to say nothing of lynching, as well as other types of murders and other forms of terrorism directed at blacks. Shouldn't the government be able to tell black families that its "past wrong" of ignoring or participating in such crimes is a thing of the past, and that the government is now on the family's side?

I think there are separate laws for cross burning anyway. I thought we were talking about when you kill someone is it just murder or is there a second crime tacked on to make it more serious.