From:             mattstu@bconnex.net
Subject:          (no subject)
	boundary="-------------------------------32274304713322"







 Hate crimes have been present for thousands of years in human history. Crimes against
 minorities have been a problem that our society has tried to face a number of times, each
 time losing the fight to abolish it. Hate crimes are a problem that need to be stopped in
 order for everyone to live freely. The United States entered the greatest economic hardship
 ever in the 1930's. When the Great Depression hit, everyone was affected. All financial
 classes suffered and there was no way to stop it. The people had to vent their anger at
 someone. The group that suffered the worst was the lower class citizens. Since they were
 suffering, they decided that they needed a scapegoat for their problems. They turned to the
 vicious hate groups. Since blacks throughout history were blamed for all problems they were
 blamed yet again. Hangings and lynching were common throughout the nation and were not
 stopped. Not just blacks were attacked. Jewish people, Italians, and Germans were commonly
 attacked. These numbers grew rapidly after the onset of the Second World War. Beatings,
 vandalism, theft and death were just a few criminal actions taken against these minorities.
 Other subtle things like avoidance and isolation affected the ethnic people's emotions and
 mental states. They felt like they were outsiders in their own country. The discrimination
 movement was rekindled in the 1960's. Black people were beginning to fight back for their
 rights as people and wanted actions taken so they could live more freely without any
 bigotry. The various racist groups decided that this was wrong and that blacks should not
 be equal to white people. They started a huge recruited of young men usually in the age
 group of eighteen to thirty. This was the age group that blamed the minorities for the
 inability to get jobs and enjoy a steady financial future. They held public rallies and
 openly spoke out against the minorities. They were making people believe that their
 problems were being caused by the various ethnic groups and that exterminating them was the
 answer. People felt that they wanted this but did not have the courage to act out. That's
 why these groups were so popular because they did everything that people wanted to do but
 couldn't do due to lack of courage. Many racial clashes were seen throughout the states. In
 the south, two sides would build up until their was a virtual war going on. These actions
 are what started our recent problems with hate violence. If they were stopped at the root,
 they would not of escalated into the problem we have now. The 1980's did not have many
 racial problems. The economy was booming and everyone had a job. There was no need to blame
 anyone for problems. Racial harmony was present even in the large cities were peace was
 uncommon. When we entered the 1990's though, a economic recession hit us. People were
 scrambling for jobs no matter what race they were. Blame was once again bestowed on the
 minorities. They were accused of overpopulating Canada and taking the jobs away from the
 "true" Canadians. In reality though, the minorities were suffering just as much as everyone
 else, maybe even more. Since most businesses were run by white people, the owners hired the
 employees based on their ethnic origin, not on the qualifications. If more time and effort
 were spent on improving the economy and not singling out minorities, maybe the recession
 could have ended sooner. Now, in the 1990's, we have seen a increase in hate crimes.
 Incidents such as the Los Angeles Riots in 1991 and the O.J. Simpson case have shown our
 society that we have not learned to live in racial peace. It is more common to hear of
 groups that promote hate, than to hear of groups that promote peace. We have become
 accustomed to hearing of racial violence, so we do not care what these groups are doing. We
 can make a difference if we all try to abolish these groups. Many times we can spot on the
 news various stories about hate groups and what they are doing. If the media spent more
 time educating people on how these groups are bad, people's views might change for the
 better, not the worse. The media plays a big part in the success of hate crimes. They are
 showing our society that violence is only inflicted on the less fortunate or on those who
 deserve it. This is not true. Everyone is affected by it no matter what ethnic origin you
 are. If everyone thought to themselves that they could be affected and not just their
 neighbors, they would take a more active approach to protecting their safety. Our society
 seems to have a selfish view on safety. As long as the individual is safe, they do not care
 what happens to anyone else. This attitude is what eventually leads people to ignoring the
 problem and hoping it will go away. We need to make it go away because it will not leave by
 itself. Children are the next chance our world has to live freely. If they are taught at a
 early age that hating someone is bad, they will grow up to believe that everyone is equal.
 Parents are not taking strong enough actions in the education of their children. Schools
 are teaching children that everyone should be treated kindly, but if this attitude is not
 held at home, children will not believe this. Once children see that everyone can be their
 friend, racial confrontations will no longer occur. 			Children can use the power of
 communication to work out their problems and stop using violence to solve their
 differences. They should be taught to respect different customs and rituals held by other
 races in order to respect what they believe in. They should be taught to take on the
 responsibility of their societies problems such as the economy and not to make the
 minorities their scapegoats. If these steps are taken, hate crimes can be removed for good.
 Hate crimes are a problem that can be fixed. Our current situation is very bad for the
 welfare of our minorities. Children are our future and should be given the knowledge of
 equality so that they can form a harmonious would. If we learn to leave in peace and love
 one another like Jesus told us, then we can all be happy. 


