Hating Hate Crime Legislation

Canada\u27s reform of multicultural laws in the 1970s and hate crime laws that are said to facilitate notions of diversity actually produce social inequality. The author explains this by comparing definitions of hate crime in the United Kingdom and in investigating the neutrality of prejudicial feelings in the human condition. The concept of social inequality is then largely framed around the fragility of the white male and the over-protection of other racial groups. Here, white males are more prone to accept claims of being racist through labeling theory. The social inequalities found in hate crime legislation also clash with aspects of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Finally, inverted notions of hate crime can also work against suspected inter-racial crimes, as the case for racial motivation is not only easy to make, but can hinder the white male\u27s defense and innocence in court