Other Victims of Hate Crimes #7

As society progresses through the ages groups have separated amongst themselves by
origin, ethnicity, religion, or skin color.  They fought and died on the basis of bias ideals
that they may hold dear.  This, all because of being ignorant to the open-minded concept
of equality.  Equality, is it a conceivable subject that our society, even today, can actually
comprehend or grasp to it’s true full meaning.  The answer, society speaks for itself to
show that only a select few individuals in our “Modern and Civil Society” are able to go
beyond issues of ignorance.  Thus, society progresses slowly with little headway to true
feelings of peacefulness and serenity.  Society is marked with the horrid ideals it
emulates toward each other.  A good example of this are the “schemas” or stereotypes we
place on each other in order to make our life supposedly easier.  However, schemas seem
to actually create problems of racism and categorical implants of bad stereotypes on
individuals of a set race, gender, ethnicity, etc…  Schemas can be broken up into two
different ideals with in-groups and outgrips.  Now the in-groups are the group that sees
themselves as all having diverse characteristics that separate and make each individual
unique.  On the other hand, outgroups categorize individuals as not having any unique
characteristics but to have a oneness that destroys any individuality, and places a single
stereotype to the mass.   Thus, the in-group is thought of as having good views upon
themselves and outgroups receive the bad stereotypes with the intent of being scapegoats
to world problems.  Whenever there is a problem, economic crisis, a group of people are
selected on the basis of causing the problem no matter the involvement.  The creation of
this web page demonstrates a few example to the many, that society may or may not be
aware of at this time.  The page is designed to give the reader information on race-related
hate, gender related, and religion based hate

Christopher J. Dunton

Miguel Soto

Beth Lions

"If you hate a person you hate something in him that is a
part of yourself, what isn't a part of ourselves does'nt
disturb us."
Herman Hesse

American Indian
     Throughout US history numerous politicians have helped to perpetuate negative
stereotypes of American Indian Nations and the American Indian general public.  Such
leaders have propelled the American view of the Indian to believing certain stereotypes
that have hurt the American Indian population in many ways.  By giving the schemas of
being the “Drunken Indian”, the wise, nature loving, new age Indian (identified by their
long black hair and/or the abundant turquoise jewelry), and finally the “Casino rich
Indian.”  These three have created a negative spiraling effect on the Indian progression to
equality among men of so-called free thinkers of moral perpetude to a sounder and freer
nation.  The Europeans have actually proven to be the elite to equality with American
Indian society being compared to early European society philosophers Montaigne and
Rosseau developed an idealized view of the American Indian and helped to perpetuate
the image of the “noble savage”.
     Conversely, American military personnel and early colonists tormented the American
Indian and portrayed them as “ blood thirsty savages”.  The more threatening the Indian
was perceived to be, the more negative the stereotype became.  With the progression of
American society to migrate to better opportunities in the west came the “Manifest
Destiny”.  Manifest Destiny gave the right to seize and occupy all of North America
justified by God saying, “Go forth and multiply”, and God goes on to say to take control
of the land and make it fertile.  Well, this justified the methodical colonization and
destruction of American Indian nations and the people.  One man of the period said, “The
indigenous people have no right to the land or the Americas because the land had been
created for use by the white races…. according to the intentions of the creator.  Because
of Manifest Destiny and the push for new settlers to migrate west the US Army Calvary
began the extrication of Indians of their homelands.  This extrication marked the most
dramatic forced removal of Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, Cherokee, and Seminole
Indians from their indigenous lands.  In the dead of winter, as many as 1/3 of their tribal
members, especially the very young and very old, died before they reached Fort Sill,
Oklahoma.  This tragic event is better known as the “Trail of Tears”.  The American
Indian response, “We did not choose to live on reservations.”  Indian Reservations were
considered unproductive and worthless by the US government.  There were
approximately 550 American Indian Nations that survived the European invasion, as well
as land theft, forced removal, and genocidal acts sanctioned by the US government.
     The US Government has helped to undermine all ideals of Indians being felt as equals
to society.  Also, the US has helped propel falsehoods of irreparable damage that would
inhibit the progression of equality of Indians to this day.  A good example is with the US
Senate’s belief that Indians cannot tolerate alcohol, which is a persistent myth.  This
stereotype is difficult to change due to the perpetuation of much exaggerated statistics in
the government’s 1994 Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Survey (FAS).  This survey said that 1 in
4 Indian babies on a South Dakota reservation is affected with FAS.  This was found to
have no scientific basis according to scientists and sociologists and the statistics were
found to be highly over dramatized figures distorted to support false findings.  The
sensationalizing “FAS” perpetuates the image of the “Drunken Indian”.  Until very
recently this negative image was generally accepted by the non-native population and, in
some cases, by the American Indians themselves.  The US Government even went as far
as to institute a law in 1832 to officially prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages to
Indians.  In recent articles a writer spoke out and said, “No other group in America, or
possibly the world, has been stigmatized more by alcohol related behavior than American
Indians”.  A common assumption is that American Indians are biologically predisposed
to alcoholism.  However, research to date shows that Indians are no different from any
other person regarding the physiology of alcohol metabolism.
Criminalization of Indians due to alcohol is an interesting subject worthy to note.
Research on the subject suggests that the perpetuation of the drunken Indian stereotype
makes Indians more vulnerable to alcohol related arrests.  Also, many officers hold the
view that Indians who drink are drunks and cannot hold their liquor.  Federal and State
judges are more likely to give longer sentences to Indians convicted of crimes because
they believe that life on the reservation is unstable and conducive to crime. Over 24% of
the imate pop. in most states are Indian, while the pop. only consists of 6-10% of states
general pop. and 1% US populationAmerican Indians are trying to counter stereotypes by
first having the Fed. gov. honor the law and treaties agreed upon as being soverign
nations.  They must become more visible to media & participate in
politics,law,education,&other leadership positions, to promote a better image of a true
Indian today.

Battle of Fallen Timbers
In 1794, United States forces led by an American General Anthony Wayne defeated the Miami ethnic
group in the Battle of Fallen Timbers, near present day Toledo, Ohio.
 
 

Cherokee on the Trail of Tears
United States President Andrew Jackson refused to enforce a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1832
that it was illegal for the state of Georgia o remove the Cherokee nation from their land. As a result, in 1838
federal soldiers forced most of the Cherokee to march about 1285 km (about 800 mi) to Indian Territory.
This was an area in what is now Oklahoma, set aside for Native Americans who had been living east of the
Mississippi River. Thousands died on the march, later known as the Trail of Tears, which began in the midst
of a drought and continued into a fierce winter. The painting here is a 1942 work by Robert Lindneux.
 

Anti-Asian
Buddhist Protest
A Vietnamese Buddhist monk burned himself to death in an act of protest against the Diem government in June 1963.
Constituting a majority of the country's population, Buddhists in Vietnam accused the Diem government of religious discrimination.

ddhist Protest," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 97 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1996 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved."Buddhist Protest," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 97 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1996 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

     During the late 1800’s began the Gold Rush in California, which had a need for cheap labor, with a
promise for good opportunity to make money and a better life, Chinese immigrants were often tricked into
slavery.  They were forced into blazing a trail for the Intercontinental Railway through the vast, treacherous
expanses of wilderness.  The Railroad bosses often had little regard for Chinese people and would send them
into tunnels to dig and set dynamite.  Often, there were accidents where many Chinese died in great numbers
from cave-ins and landslides.  Also Chinese men and women were sent into the Gold Country to work hard
labor for little money.  During the 1800’s the Chinese people had little rights and were not allowed to vote.
Anti-Chinese Leagues were formed to keep the “vermin” out of their town.  Many schemas arose during this
time of stress with expansion and industrialization.  Opium began to flourish and the term “Chinese Eyed”
came about to mean getting loaded.
     In 1942, the Japanese declared war on the United States by bombing Pearl Harbor.  This incident caused
the onslaught of internment camps that resembled those in Germany.  Ellis Island, New York; Arizona;
Louisiana; and Treasure Island in San Francisco, California were just a few places to name where these
camps existed.  Here the Japanese were treated terribly and had their rights as citizens greatly violated as
non-Asians wanted justice for the deaths at Pearl Harbor.
     In 1967, the Vietnam Conflict began with much controversy.  First we began to bomb, and then troops
were enlisted by the draft for a ground conflict.  The 60’s, as you know, was a time off great rebellion and
change to more liberal ideals.  However, with little end in sight, Americans began to get frustrated.  GI’s
who did not want to be there enjoyed drugs and prostitutes on their off time.  Much hate progressed towards
the Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Laotians as countless
thousands of American lives were being sent home in body bags.  As soldiers in Vietnam and many other
wars, men become monsters in a time of chaos.  This chaos brought the stereotype of prostitutes of
Vietnamese women from Saigon into the field.  This confusion caused many forced rapes and killings.  This
does sound sick but war seems to have many atrocities.  If you watch the Deer Hunter (1979), Platoon
(1985), or Full Metal Jacket, etc…you will see some of the stresses that ordinary thrust into a horrid
position face.  This stress causes hate, which in turn causes stereotypes.  The Asians have quite a few
schemas of being: slopes, gooks, VC, yellow men; drive rice burners; homosexuals; communists; etc…  The
point is that in times of great turmoil comes hatred, and in turn there is a search of a scapegoat to societies

Iran Hostage Crisis
Iranian militants escorted a blindfolded American hostage in Tehran, Iran, in November 1979.
Opposed to Western influences, the militants stormed the United States embassy
in Tehran and took 66 Americans hostage. The situation represented a crisis for United States
President Jimmy Carter, who was unable to negotiate their release.

Anti-Arabs
     As society goes through the ages of progression it’s values become greater with ever changing standards
of morality.  Morality and value judgement help to enhance man’s ideals to a higher state of mind.  When
society uses schemas to classify certain characteristics it back tracks little by little, thus degenerating
progression to a great state of “Nirvana” or spiritual embodiment of open-minded ideals.  Although society,
parents, and religion all help to create an individual’s aspects of right and wrong it is up to the individual to
allow free thinking of new ideas and people.
     The Arabs have long been discriminated against throughout the world.  This all because of the incidents
that the few have caused the many to pay for.  The Arabs have long been known to be very artistic with
Moors, in the 16th Century, creating magnificent edifices and castles across Europe.  Great conquerors were
they as they trampled Europe’s forces and created great trade routes.  They were also known as creating
great mathematical as well as scientific knowledge.  The question lies with, “Why must society judge the
Arabs so cruelly?”  With stereotypes of being Terrorists, dangerous people, anti-Christian,
camel jockeys, sand niggers, towel heads, dirty and smelly,camel fuckers, rich, oil barons,
Muslim psychos, etc…With such stereotypes it is hard for Arabs to get fair treatment in society.
     It has been shown that escalation in middle causes quite a lot of discord in America.  During the Iran
Contra Affair anti-Arab hate rose with violence.  When Pan American hostage crisis took place, Americans
went anti-Arab everything.  Movies and Media in general are shown to be the main force of causing overly
stereotypical schemas of races.  Movies such as Delta Force, True Lies, Naked Gun, and the recently very
controversial, The Siege.  These movies along with others show circumstances of ill repute by showing that
all Arabs pose a danger to society by bringing violence and terrorism.
     When war broke out with the Gulf War in 1991, hate violence rose by 3 fold from the previous year.
There was shown to be a strong correlation between hate crimes and the political tension involving the US
and Middle East.  As the tension rose with Desert Shield progressing to Desert Storm, so did the violence
against Arabs.  With escalation of the Gulf conflict the means of violence changed from mear words to
involving the following: 4 bombings; 5 arsons; 2 shootings; and 12 physical assaults.  Besides normal citizens
partaking in anti-Arab hate it has also been shown that law enforcement shows an unfortunate threat.
However, the men were just expressing their rights of legal use of expressing the First Amendment in
political activities.  It was found that the Justice Department had a contingency plan to arrest thousands of
US Middle Eastern residents and create detention camps in Louisiana and Florida.  They were also looking
into possible deportation.  Although citizens, our government is sick enoug to try an unthinkable, atrocious
plan to end terrorism in the US.
     The Gulf War itself shows multiple examples of hate caused by the conflict.  A radio broad caster asked
his listeners to keep track of any Arabs and to call in on their where abouts.  Media also progressed hate by
negative ads being placed.  The marketing go of products such as T-shirts with rifle cross hairs
superimposed on an Arab figure on a camel and the slogan “I’d fly 10,000 miles to smoke (to destroy) a
camel. Slogans proved to be the worst offender of anti-Arab hate.  A few more examples are:  “Waste them
camel jockeys”; or “Dear enemies of Jews and Americans, peddle your lies in hell not New York.  You
better stop if you want to live.  I have a bomb with your dirty name on it.” And finally a last example
insulting the Shi ite Muslims by promoting “Shi ite Toilet Paper” with words, “Tired of all the crap from
Iraq?  Show how you feel!  Use Shi ite (Shity) Toilet Tissue.”
     It just goes to show that no matter the time or place society seems to always cause problems with hate.
The hate doesn’t even have to deal with the beings responsible for causing the hate, but may include the
innocent individuals with commonality of race, gender, or religion.  The Arabs, in the past 30 years, have
been in Media quite a lot and thus have been seen as being a scape goat of hate to solve the anger of stress
created by society.  It has been shown time and time again that an economic crisis or fear of such a thing,
that society picks a scapegoat and the Arabs are it.
 

GENDER BIAS HATE CRIMES

What is a hate Crime?
The Hate Crime Statistics Act defines hate crimes as acts in which individuals are victimized because of their
race, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.

Many states have variations to the Hate Crime Statistics Act in which they include several areas such as
veteran’s status, persons with disabilities, or gender.  You should check your state’s law on hate crime to
see which classes they include.

The Federal Hate Crime Statistic Act fails to include hate crimes against women as a class simply because
they are women.

The Federal hate Crimes Sentencing Act of 1994, includes women and people with disabilities in its
definition of a hate crime.  The Act defines a hate crime as a defendant who seeks a victim because of their
actual or perceived race, religion, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of
any person.  The Federal Hate Crimes Sentencing Act of 1994, also includes property in cases that include
property.

What determines a crime is bias motivated?
· Language or symbols
· The severity of the attack
· Prior incidents in the same area
· Prior incident by the same offender
· Lack of provocation by victim
· Absence of other motive (e.g. money)
· Offenders affiliations (e.g. Ku Klux Klan)
· Timing (e.g. Religious holiday or world event)

Are there gender motivate hate crimes?
In Massachusetts in 1994, a “serial batterer” was found to have violated the state’s hate crime law for his
bias crimes against women.  Four women were abused including severe physical battery, rape, death threats,
and constant verbal abuse.  In addition, he called women “Whores, ‘Bithches’ and ‘Sluts.”  He also made
derogatory remarks about women by saying women were weaker and less intelligent than men.
In Arkansas, a woman was found stabbed approximately 130 times in the breasts, vagina, buttocks, both eyes and
forehead,two days after her 2nd wedding anniversary.  Her
husband was charged with the murder.

Are these above examples considered hate crimes?
According to their state’s statute they were considered hate crimes motivated by the actual or perceived
gender.  However, according to the Hate Crimes Statistics Act, the above examples would not be considered
a hate crime.

Society is beginning to realize that many assaults (not all) against women are not “random” acts of violence
against women, but are actually bias motivated crimes against women.  However, the Hate Crimes Statistics
Act was passed, signed into law and recently revised without including hate crimes against women as a class.
Because of this the FBI keeps no crime statistics on gender-based crimes or victims.

The reason gender is difficult to include in hate crime laws is because it is very difficult to prove that a hate
crime was motivated by the actual or perceived gender.  Yes, you may be a male or female but you are also
have an ethnicity, a race, a national origin, a color, a religion and a sexual orientation.  How can it be proved
that the crime was committed against you because you are a male or female rather than because of any of the
other areas.

Approximately 683,000 adult women are raped each year, and between 1992 and 1993, current and former
husband and other current and former intimate partners committed more than a million assaults, rapes and
murders against women a hate crime, and the FBI keeps no records of gender-based hate crimes or victims.

Are there gender bias hate groups?
Misogyny is defined as hatred of women.  Therefore misogynist would be classified as type of hate group.
The pure thought of hating women i9s not actually a hate crime, but if a misogynist were to act upon his/her
thoughts then it might be considered a hat crime.  Misogynists are not as publicized as say a member of the
Ku Klux Klan, Skinheads, or Neo-Nazis, however they do exist.  They publish books, write music, create
artwork and make movies about their hatred form women.  According to the Hate Crime Statistic Act they
are not committing a hate crime.

If interested in learning more about misogyny and misogynist check out the movie In the Company of Men.
This movie depicts two co-workers who set out to hurt a woman by picking a woman at random, leading her
on, and then duping her.  The emotionally and physically abuse the woman simply because she is a woman.
This is the prime example of why women should be classified under hate crime laws.  A hate crime is defined
as an act in which individuals are victimize because of their perceived or actual race, religion, etc…
Did these men not victimize this individual because
she was a woman?  There are also several web sites to learn more about misogyny.  Try clicking on one of
the links below.
Links:
Misogyny Unlimited (http://www.ozemail.com.au/~ksolway/misogyny.html)
Dave Sims Misogyny Page (http://www.jitterbug.com/pages/sim.html)
Stop the Hate (http://www.stopthehate.org)
Crime and Punishment (http://crime.miningco.com)

The Amish
     For many years the Amish have been subject to taunting, torment, and hate crimes.  They maintain an
unelaborated lifestyle relying on their land and their livestock.  They carry much faith in their religion and
their simple way of life.  But it is their religious beliefs and the austere manner in which they conduct
themselves that makes them easy targets.
     They are referred to as “clapes”, and their aggressors are referred to as “clapers”, and when referring to
the hate crimes committed against the Amish the term “claping” is used.
     In Northern Indiana there has been a study conducted in which many “clapers” from the ages of 15 to 27
years old have been interviewed about their conduct towards the Amish and their reasoning for it.
     One subject said he and his friends would pour a mix of water and chicken manure into an old fashioned
fire extinguisher and use it to spray Amish families in their buggies as they crept down the road.
Another group of boys planted a chemical bomb in an Amish mailbox, where an approaching boy
could have been easily injured.  One subject comically described the image of an Amish man bouncing
through a ditch in his buggy after being driven from the road by a farm implement.
    In the case of “claping”, its perpetrators refer to the Amish as dirty and accuse them of bizarre forms of
hypocrisy.  They say that the Amish won’t own a phone but they’ll use one; they won’t drive a car, but
they’ll ride in one; they won’t own modern conveniences, but they’ll go to the burger stand to get a
sandwich made with them.
     The persecution of the Amish will continue for the depressing fact that they are easy targets.
The Amish typically do not report crimes to the police.  Instead they cling to the Biblical teaching that
instructs Christians to turn the other cheek.  In Wisconsin after authorities began investigating a buggy
burning they were stunned realize that bottles, beer cans and bricks were being thrown at Amish buggies and
that graffiti had been painted over an Amish-owned general store.  Police also discovered that vandals had
opened barn doors at Amish farms, releasing animals that families needed for their livelihood.  They accept
persecution to be a normal part of everyday life.  The Amish see attacks on them as God’s will.  Even when
authorities find out about a crime, or find the person responsible, the Amish will usually refuse restitution.
In Wisconsin and other states, Amish have only reported crimes when someone is so badly injured that they
end up in the hospital or dead.  Amish men in Ohio were being knocked off their bikes and robbed,
authorities only learned of this when an Amish man landed in the hospital.
     Because of their beliefs and their faith it makes it very easy for those who are ignorant to prey on them
and for this reason unfortunately the taunting, torment, and hate crimes will continue.
 

Bibliography:

American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee:  “Political & Political Hate Violence against
Arab Americans.”  February 1992.

“Blanket of Secrecy Covers Crimes against Amish,”.  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Milwaukee,  Wisconsin.  2 March, 1998.

Encarta.  Microsoft Corp.  1997.

Hate Crimes: Current Controversies, Greenhaven Press, San Diego, Calif.  1996.

Hate Crimes in America Web page (http://www.civilrights.org/Icef/hate/)

Meadows, Robert J., Understanding Violence and Victimization, Prentice Hall, Inc.  Upper Saddle
River, New Jersey 1998.

 Misogyny Unlimited, Web page (http://www.ozemail.com.au/~ksolway/misogyny.html)

“The Amish, as Easy and Forgiving Victims, often Targets of Crime,”.  The Muncie:  Indiana,
5 October, 1997.