by Jared Taylor

About the author: Jared Taylor is a journalist and author of Paved with Good Intentions: The Failure of Race Relations in Contemporary America.

The idea of “hate” crimes and the increased penalties attached to them are a radical departure from traditional criminal justice in that they punish certain motivations more than others. Increased penalties are justified by pointing out that the law has always taken a criminal’s state of mind into account: Was the killing deliberate or an accident? Was it planned in cold blood or done in the heat of the moment? However, these are questions of intent, and intent is, indeed, a factor in determining guilt. “Hate” crimes break new ground by considering motive. Traditionally the law does not care about motive. You are just as guilty...