Hate crimes are one of the biggest problems many people face today. Whether or not they should be subject to legislation against these practices has been the subject of much debate and remains a hot topic. This essay will explain the ideas and opinions of several authors, including Charley Reese, Michael Lieberman, Helen Dodge, Gregory S. Parks, Shayne E. Jones, and Samuel Francis. It will also explain why hate crimes should be legislated, with supporting information. The term "hate crime" is generally considered to be a criminal act against a person, group or property because of their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation (Civil Rights – Hate Crimes – Overview). A person who is the victim of a hate crime may be threatened, harassed, physically harmed or even killed. In order to provide protection, laws have been established by society against those who commit hate crimes. There is much debate among the general public about which laws should not punish individuals more harshly based on the motivation for their crime; instead, a criminal should only be punished for the crime committed. However, the motive for a crime is often more important than the crime itself. For example, if a black family moves into an area where the majority of residents are white and a group of white teenagers vandalize the property, they will be charged with vandalism. However, if after vandalizing the property they sprayed the word "nigger" on the garage door, they would most likely be convicted of some sort of racial hate crime involving vandalism. Although both actions are considered crimes, the motive for the racial crime must be taken into consideration when the punishment is imposed. You could say the pattern was...... middle of paper ......on | Publishing of educational books | Academic textbooks. Internet. . “Hate crime” laws change the law (Francis 141 and 142)Keyes, Jere. “Hate Crime Legislation: An Essay | Blind Prophecy.” Blind prophecy | Jere keys online. February 11, 2009. Web. April 26, 2011. “About Hate Crimes.” Home page. Internet. April 26, 2011. “State Hate Crime Laws.” Human Rights Campaign. June 1, 2009. The web. April 26, 2011. “List of Hate Crime Laws.” Home page. Internet. April 26, 2011. “Declaration of Independence.” National Archives and Archives Administration. Internet. April 26. 2011. .