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A hate crime is an act of terrorism no less barbaric than 9/11. Attacking a victim simply because he is (black, white, hispanic, asian, gay, christian, moslem, jewish, athiest, etc.). Just as there is a difference between manslaughter and murder, and in between murder and "special circumstances" (i.e., cop, federal worker), the motivation makes the crime more heinous and more of a threat to society.
It's not about the victim ... it's about the motivation of the perp. Attempting to take Freddy Fudpucker's wallet, and killing him in the process, sends fear into the community, but it's a random fear. Killing a person strictly because of race, religion, sexual preference, etc. becomes a terrorist act.
At least, that's how I see it.
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