Hate Crime - When Will it Stop?

Hate crime – is it ever going to stop?

There’s been a lot of hate crimes reported on both sides of the ocean. Over the years hate crime has plagued and ruin people’s lives whether your involved or the story is just too heartbreaking to cope.

In the UK hate crime has risen. That doesn’t discount the amount it has increased in the US also, both countries, although different, in certain aspects have one similarity and that is unjust violence.

In the UK, in 2016/17 hate crime rose to 40% and in 2017/18 it rose even higher.

The two main targets for hate crime in the UK and in the US are race and sexuality.

In the UK, racial hate crime was at 76% and hate crime towards people with other sexual orientations was 12%.

In total, the number of people targeted was at 82,889. It is said that the EU Referendum (Brexit) played a part in the spike with the hate crime.

People are using matters of politics to fuel their fear with other citizens of the UK.

In the US hate crime has been one thing that is a common occurrence among many. America has a higher rate of hate crime with sexual orientation and religion reported.

In the US in 2017 the amount of hate crime reported was 7,175 and in 2016 6,121. There was a spike within the year and the crimes seem to be motivated by race at 59.6%, religion at 20.6% and sexual orientation at 15.8%.

The main question is with these numbers showing the amount of hate crime in both the US and the UK over the years, will it ever stop?

It became clear to me with a recent story that was reported this year, 2019. It was reported that well-known actor and activist Jussie Smollett was the victim of a racial and homophobic attack.

There’s a debate going around whether or not it was real or was it exactly what was reported by news outlets. It is hard to clearly state the validity of a hate crime.

In the US, the current climate with Donald Trump as president has everyone at a total divide with negativity coming to the forefront.

In the case of Jussie Smollett, it has been reported that his claims were false but does the issue deserve to be ignored only to be brought up when there is a legitimate attack?

In both America and Britain hate crimes motivated by both race and sexual orientation was out of fear within the changes in political climate.

The issue in both countries as of now seems to be a factor that might not change.

Over the last two years hate crimes have increased and in 2019 just during Black History Month the claim of a hate crime brought up the question of whether this is right and a part of the bigger issue that no one is talking about.

Photo by niu – niu on Unsplash