The rise in hate crimes shows that something is wrong in United States (US) society. At the very least, it lacks tolerance, love, and compassion. It is necessary to identify its causes to organize an effective response to this negative trend. One of the reasons is simple and even positive; it is “better reporting by police departments” (Balsamo, 2020, para. 4). Allam (2020) states that the second one is “big political moments” (para. 11). Donald Trump’s presidency had many controversial political events.
Explanation
As noted above, many police departments have increased their focus and effort on reporting hate crimes. Hate Crime Statistics experts note that “thousands of law enforcement agencies nationwide make crucial contributions to the program’s success” (About hate crime statistics, n.d., para. 15). Moreover, Michael Balsamo (2020) from Associated Press News notes hate crimes have long been a top priority for the Justice Department. Several non-governmental organizations have long urged government entities to pay special attention to this type of crime. Hannah Allam (2020) from National Public Radio claims that political events often generate tensions in society, leading to hate crimes. It is because there is often political propaganda from both sides that radicalizes individuals.
Crime Patterns over the Past Few Years
Data from the Hate Crime Statistics Program shows which population groups are most affected by hate crime. At the time of 2019, they were Black people and African Americans, Jews and Muslims, LGBT people and especially gays, people with mental disabilities, women and transgender people (Table 1, 2019). Recent protests show that the number of hate crimes against people of Asian descent has increased over the past year and a half. It is safe to say that it is caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown.
References
About hate crime statistics. (n.d.). FBI. Web.
Allam, H. (2020). FBI report: Bias-motivated killings at record high amid nationwide rise in hate crime. National Public Radio. Web.
Balsamo, M. (2020). Hate crimes in US reach highest level in more than a decade. Associated Press News. Web.
Table 1. (2019). FBI. Web.
