by Robert H. Knight

About the author: Robert H. Knight is the director of cultural studies at the Family Research Council, a research and educational organization that promotes the traditional family.

The Family Research Council, which I represent, deplores criminal violence in any form, and believe it should be punished to the full extent of the law. We also believe that Americans should continue to work diligently toward racial reconciliation.

Hate Crime Laws Are Seriously Flawed

However, we strongly oppose the 1999 Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA), which is fundamentally flawed on numerous counts.

It sets up special classes of victims, who are afforded a higher level of government protection than others victimized by similar crimes, violating the concept of equal protection.

It would politicize criminal prosecutions, pressuring local agencies to devote more of their limited resources to cases that...