Los Angeles, CA – A March 28 vandalism incident where rocks were thrown through windows of an LA synagogue has been ruled today as a hate crime.
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Beverly Press (http://bit.ly/QHYdPw) reports the L.A. Police Department’s Whilshire Division hate crimes coordinator Det. Jennifer Lee stated the crime is ruled as a hate crime because the three windows broken had Jewish symbols on them. Windows without Jewish symbols were not damaged.
The timing of the incident – which occurred at the Orthodox Ohev Shalom Congregation at Fairfax Ave – before Passover also led to the department’s decision.
The hate crime ruling assists authorities in tracking a pattern of the same type of crime in the area and reports the incident to the U.S. Department of Justice to track hate crimes nationally.
Police also announced that, they have increased patrol at Jewish institutions.
The whole idea of “hate” crimes is stupid. All crimes are hate crimes in as much as they show a disregard for the victim. What is the opposite of a hate crime, a “love” crime?
What is the difference “hate crimes” and “non-hate crimes”?
For example ….
A ‘little graffiti” is a minor crime.
If the graffiti was “Kilroy was here!” it could very well be ignored.
What if the ‘little graffiti” is a swastika?
… Painted on a holocaust survivor’s synagogue?
… Or in his front door?
Same “crime” but the perpetrator had very different intentions … and the victims would have very different reactions.
That is why the same crime should have different consequences.