EXPLAINED: Idaho Doesn’t Need New Hate Crimes Laws

Is Idaho seeing a spike in hate crimes?

I saw an email from a publicist offering a guest who claims antisemitism is on the rise in Idaho.  Check out this link.  It said there were four such designated crimes in the state last year.  Some of these have taken place at the Anne Frank Memorial in Boise.  The site offers a contemplative experience and honors a little girl who died horribly in a Nazi death camp.

Gosh, There are Nazis Everywhere You Look

I’m not sure Idaho is seeing a resurgence of roving bands of skinheads, Nazis, and the KKK.  I’ve been wondering if a gaggle of goofy kids is to blame.  When I was a boy there was always a cohort in town practicing vandalism as a form of trying to impress one another.  The kids involved thought themselves brave until caught.  They would wilt after arrest, break down and cry in family court.

Would additional hate crimes laws be a deterrent?

Liberals will say the death penalty doesn’t deter homicides.  Then turn around and claim laws controlling what people think will create a more polite society.

Do People Commit Nice Crimes?

By definition, I would think most crimes involve spite.  We don’t have nice crimes.  A guy who takes your wallet and keys and then flips you back a twenty for cab fare isn’t your friend.

A better solution at the Anne Frank Memorial would be cameras (they may already be in place for all I know).  If it’s a couple of 12-year-olds with Krylon, have them scrub it clean with toothbrushes and give them two years of community service and probation.  Mom and Dad could also want to administer paddling.  Many of us would say it worked in the past.  Why not try the old-fashioned approach before writing new laws?