I also agree...thoughts are seperate from actions. Someone can think homosexuality is the worst thing in the world...and that cannot be compared to a hate crime...nor does someone disagreeing or not accepting that lifestyle be compared to "hate". Toleration is not the same as acceptance. Tolerance means I can hate everything you stand for, and do...but I allow you to be there without taking action against you. Acceptance means I accept what you stand for, can agree with it or understand it....and that shouldn't be forced on anyone. That is why I strongly dislike when gay or bi people make it a point to let you know that they are gay or bi..without you asking or even wanting to know. The same goes for parades and such that are soley there to shove that fact in people's faces and try to force acceptance...which shouldn't be a goal in the first place.

I think people look at hate crimes the way they look at racism. A lot of people will actually claim that blacks can't be racist agianst whites because they are a minority. The same would go for some people when looking at hate crimes. If a gay person decided to kill a straight person...because he was straight...some people wouldn't want to label that as a hate crime, when it is one in fact. I am not accusing anyone of that here...just pointing out that fact..and that it is a very bad misconception.

About the Jewish stuff...just because you don't hear of it, doesn't mean it doesn't happen...and I can definitely state that the conflict in the middle east with Israel is definitely not political. Not that it doesn't have arms in that area...but the Muslims there HATE the Jewish people...as stated by their own contries many a time. Plus, you have the Holocaust..which is pretty much the biggest hate crime of all time (not even solely against the Jews, but homosexuals, blacks, handicapps and anyone-Hitler-didn't-like).

~Kiva