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VioletGray -> RE: MCDONALD'S beating victim calls attack hate crime... (4/25/2011 5:16:36 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: juliaoceania
Here is something that perplexes me, the concept of "hate crime". In my view, most violent crimes are "hate crimes". I do not see how giving an extra penalty for a crime because of the motivations behind it to be all that useful...
I agree that hate crime laws seem like persecuting someone for their beliefs, but I understand why they exist. If the person has extra motivation to attack a particular person, let's say a minority they don't like or they are transgendered, hate crime laws attempt to balance it out by giving them extra incentive not to attack the same person.
quote:
ORIGINAL: juliaoceania
There are a lot of men out there that are violent towards women and hate them, yet, there is no extra penalty for violence against women as a protected group, and if you ask me they need it as much as, if not more than, other groups. I would venture to guess that women have more violence perpetrated against them, on average, than any other "group"
ok first,
The Matthew Shepherd Act amended federal hate crime laws to include the actual or percieved gender of any person.
Second, women are half the world's population. You think that might have anything to do with it? Women have violent acts committed against them for any number of reasons, which can be exacerbated by an overall contempt for women. Very rarely is a woman attacked for no other reason than being a woman. But if a woman walked into a restuarant, will she get her ass beat by men just for being a woman? Are there certain predominantly male parts of town that beat up any woman who wanders in? Trust me, I am well aware that a women walking alone at night is at much greater risk than a man in the same situation (found that out the hard way) but, can you think of any situation where a woman is at greater risk than a transwoman?
quote:
ORIGINAL: popeye1250
I don't know if this is a "hate crime" or not. I think Juliaoceana pretty much nailed it.
If someone wants to dress up like the opposite sex in their own home that's one thing but if they go out *in public* like that some people will notice and yell at them or tease them. People do have first amendment rights and "offending" people is not against the law.
T.V.s/T.G.s surely must understand that most people don't agree with their lifestyle and if they're going to go out in public dressed like that they should surely expect some "feedback."
But, you can't assault *anyone* without breaking the law.
I try to be open-minded about things like this but I have to admit that when I realise that a "woman" isn't a woman but a man dressed like a woman it just creeps me out. I wouldn't start yelling at them or anything like that, just keep my distance.
Ok, a few things to understand..
For some people at least, there are only 3 options:
1.) Transition
2.) Live unhappily until they die.
3.) Die.
For some it's more than just 'dressing up.' They need to live as another gender, and according to the field of medicine there is no cure. So there's that.
And yes some people are going to be ignorant. But it'll be up to us to change that situation. Decades ago a couple would get beaten down regularly just for being interracial, or a person being too dark to vote, or to male to wear capri pants. But things change, and we'll have to make that change happen. It won't happen on it's own. And a "Well that's what you should expect" mentality is the enemy of positive change.
In this respect, people need to be more like you, Popeye (yeah, I can't believe I typed that either.) If trans people creep you out that's fine, you're allowed to feel anyway you want, and it's your body, you can keep your distance if you want. The problem comes when people that discomfort materializes into the world around you in the form of punches to the face, or screaming. Really, Transpeople just want to live their lives.
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