Media Watch

Hate-Crime Laws Cover Everyone

Related Content

Letters to the Editor
Courier-Post

To the Editor:

Re: “Hate-speech laws give extra protection to Jews” (Your Views, Feb. 19) 

We are appalled by the letter to the editor. Not only is the writer’s screed offensive to Jews and Catholics, he is dead wrong about hate crimes. We feel compelled to set the record straight. 

Hate-crime laws protect everyone, not just Jews, as the letter writer incorrectly claims. New Jersey’s hate-crime law defends all citizens from any crime committed because of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

 It does not matter the color of your skin, whom you love or where you worship; if you are the target of a crime because of who you are, you are protected by hate-crime laws. 

Hate crimes are not like other crimes — they are an attack not only on the victims, but also on the entire community. They are message crimes, telling victims and anyone like them, “Your kind is not welcome here.” 

Such crimes can terrorize entire communities — not just the people who share the targeted characteristics with the victims, but also neighbors and other citizens who may wonder, “Will I be next?” 

This is what makes hate-crime laws so necessary — these are crimes of outsized impact that need to be met with enhanced penalties. 

One more clarification: Hate-crime laws only apply when there is an underlying crime to prosecute. The First Amendment protects speech — even bigoted and ignorant speech like the letter writer’s — and ADL staunchly defends this vital democratic freedom. 

Biased language must be combated with positive speech from community members and leaders. But when someone goes beyond speech and commits a crime inspired by hate, then hate-crime laws have a vital role to play in ensuring justice and protecting the entire community. 

While we understand the Courier-Post’s inclination to share a wide variety of viewpoints in order to inspire robust debate, we do not agree that the letter writer’s anti-Semitic, anti-Catholic and misinformed rant needed to be aired.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Bannett
ADL Philadelphia Assistant Regional Director