UK Member of Parliament Kate Osborne emphasized the responsibility of politicians to use language that protects communities and does not incite hate, citing a recent incident in her constituency as an example. In an article for The Atlantic, Charles F. Lehman, who is pleased to return to the publication, argued that policy makers should address hate crimes through the criminal-justice or social-services system by focusing on individual offenders. Lehman's perspective is that many hate crime offenders also commit other crimes, and Keith Humphreys concurred, suggesting that targeting known criminals is more effective than addressing population-level bigotry. Matthew Continetti supported this view, stating that it is better for victims and society to treat hate crimes as criminal acts.
'Far better—for victims, for public safety, and for society—to understand that hate criminals are criminals, and combat their crimes as crimes.' @CharlesFLehman https://t.co/AFWLkKY2gX
Few bigoted people commit hate crimes, but many hate crime offenders have a violent criminal history. So we are more likely to reduce hate crimes by focusing on identified criminals than on population-level bigotry. My reading of @CharlesFLehman https://t.co/a4Q8zeiL0y
Pleased to make my return to @TheAtlantic with an important insight about hate crime offenders: they often commit other crimes too. https://t.co/X9DEiNLXMY
"Whether through the criminal-justice or social-services system … policy makers should address hate crimes by focusing on individual offenders, rather than trying to fight bigotry writ large," writes @CharlesFLehman: https://t.co/W5bZF9IlPq
Politicians have got to realise that their language has consequences. That this has happened since that meeting, with me personally, in my constituency, is a prime example of that. Ministers and politicians have a duty to protect all of our communities and not stoke hate. https://t.co/ABLktAo4MZ