With the Sean Bell and Rodney King scandals elevating public concern about racially-motivated violence, support for federal hate-crimes legislation has intensified. Some scholars worry that such proposals use dangerously vague language. “One thing you have to keep in mind with the hate-crimes statute is that it is drafted extremely broadly. You hear it referred to as a ‘hate crime’ statute—it is therefore natural to believe it must require hatred. It does not,” argued Professor Gail Heriot. She believes that H.R. 1592 masks lawmakers’ long-standing desire to radically expand hate crimes to include rape and other violent acts.
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