Why does South Carolina hate hate crime laws so much?
Over nearly 30 years, opponents have defeated every state legislative effort to enact a law that would criminalize violence rooted in hatred of qualities we all possess — race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion – or of other protected characteristics like disabilities.
Opponents have thwarted every hate crime bill since the first one filed in the state Senate in 1997 to boost penalties for crimes intentionally based on a belief or perception about such traits. They’ve done so even though such crimes extend well beyond the victim to society as a whole…