By DEVLIN BARRETT
WASHINGTON
Reports of hate crimes against gays and religious groups increased sharply in 2008, according to new FBI data released Monday.
Overall, the number of reported hate crimes increased about 2 percent. These same figures show a nearly 11 percent increase in hate crimes based on sexual orientation, and a nearly 9 percent increase in hate crimes based on religion.
The largest category, racially-motivated hate crimes, fell less than 1 percent.
In Virginia, 263 hate crimes were reported last year. The majority - 172 - were racially motivated, according to the report.
Thirty-seven incidents in Virginia were attributed to religion; sexual orientation, 33; ethnicity,19 ; disability, 2.
The report also includes hate crimes on college campuses. Christopher Newport and Old Dominion universities reported one each last year; three hate crimes were reported at The College of William & Mary.
Among all categories of hate crimes, roughly a third are vandalism or property damage. About 30 percent involve intimidation of some kind, and another 30 percent were physical attacks against people.
The FBI does not compare year-to-year trends in hate crimes, saying the number of agencies reporting changes too much. And in fact, the bureau cautioned that the increase reported Monday might well be due to more agencies tracking such incidents.
In 2008, 2,145 different agencies reported hate crimes incidents, while the year before 2,025 agencies did this reporting.
In total, there were 7,783 hate crimes reported to the FBI last year, and seven murders were categorized as hate crimes.
Half of all hate crimes are motivated by race, according to the FBI. One out of every five is driven by religious bias, and one out of every six is based on sexual orientation bias.
The new statistics come less than a month after President Barack Obama signed a bill expanding those covered by the federal law against hate crimes. Previously, the law had protected those attacked on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin.
The new law signed by Obama now covers crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. It also removes the restriction that federal authorities can launch investigations of victims who were engaged in federally protected activities like voting or free speech.
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Can you guess which political party is most responsible?
G.O.P. Considers ‘Purity’ Resolution for Candidates
Intolerance seems to be the defining characteristic any any "true" Republican:
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/gop-considers-purity-resolution-for-candidates/
Republicans are like cops at a crime scene. You read a story like this and you can hear the usual right wing nuts saying, "Move along folks. There's nothing to see here."
The right is destroying this country with its message of hate, fear and intolerance.
is anyone surprised??
We live in a society where more and more people are telling everyone else how to live, and the only right way is to live is like they do.
So you are
advocating hate crimes against sexual orientation because they want everyone to accept them, and against religion because they try to save everyone.
"try to save everyone"???
The so called religious isn't going to save anyone by telling them they are going to hell if they don't do what THEIR bible says people should. People should actually mind their own darn business.
so you are
advocating hate crimes against religous groups. I got it now.
True
That's true if by "people" you mean the "federal and state government".
no
I mean the GOP
One out of every five is driven by religious bias
Kind of blows the claim that religion is a source of morality when it drives 20% of crime according to the FBI.
you do realize that
these hate crimes are committed against religious people, not by them. Or do you think that the race and sexual orientation hate crimes are committed by minority as well?
absolutely against religious people
But is it a wild surmise on my part that it takes religious people to commit "offenses motivated by religious bias" against religious people?
You're stretching for it there
your surmise, assumes that all the crimes against religion is by religion. I can see from your post and others that you are so against religion that you see no problem with people committing crimes against them.
for overcoming fear and ignorance
I'm absolutely against any crime against any human brothers and sisters. If the FBI is attempting to identify motivations, then that is interesting. FBI.gov provides detail about offenders that might hoist eyebrows among us message-board enthusiasts who so often undertake putting two and two together in hopes of totaling four.
Nice try areaman but I doubt
Nice try areaman but I doubt the article means an old Baptist lady is throwing a rock at a old Catholic lady's car. These are crimes against religious groups, more then likely antisemitism and not a Christian crusade.
correct, 65% of religious bias crime is antisemitism
Antisemitism allows you to breathe easier? Is it not appalling to learn that "offenses motivated by religious bias" occur against our fellow citizens?
Any crime against a religion
Any crime against a religion is appalling. Your main point was alluding that the religious people are the ones committing the crimes and a lot of people on here disagree with that.
welcome disagreement
Yes but I just wonder if the FBI would disagree, knowing what its knows about hate crime statistics and US demographics. When crime rates rise, people are usually so fond of pointing fingers. Silence is at least curious.
Based on religion?
"About 30 percent involve intimidation of some kind"
Does this mean that they will go after churches involved in extortion by telling you that if you do not believe what they tell you to believe, you will burn for eternity? And, by the way, this entity that will "save" you from the lake of fire will really "appreciate" you giving them 10% of your income. Let's just call it "protection"...
Look up
Look up "straw man fallacy". Avoiding them will help you think more clearly.
Look up...
Look up inquisition, it might help you think more clearly and give you an idea of what a world would be like with dogmatic religion run amok. Society progresses and religion is forced to adapt, kicking and screaming. They had to adapt to a society that would no longer put up with their evil. Nowadays, they have to follow the law, but they find ways to extort legally by fooling people into believing some fable.