Editor,
When a member of this nation’s majority race commits a hate crime against a minority, it is often from being emboldened by truly believing that they represent the majority view in committing even the most heinous acts. And given that there is such a thing as systemic prejudice, they can be right.
What strengthens such belief is silence on the part of majority witnesses to the crime, and lax laws when it comes to applying hate crime enhancement, not to mention leniency in application of existing laws, in large part because the sheriff’s and the DA’s positions, and, worst of all, the judge’s position, all are elected positions in this country, and the minority victim has as a percentage of the entire population, only a few fellow minority who vote locally for or against such positions – and don’t even get me started if the minority victim is an undocumented immigrant.
Then there is our well-worn history of racist juries acquitting in even the most clear-cut of such cases.
We need a President who can correct this system-enabled outrage, not a racist President who, when such a crime is committed at his rally, promises to pay the perp’s legal bills.
Arun Ahuja
UNM student
