Have we become a world that is so petrified of the bully that we’re too scared to report to the higher-ups to fix the situation? Local police clearly haven’t done a great job in letting the gay community know that they have their back. Most police would say that hate crimes are difficult to handle because the motivation is hard to prove most of the time, except in cases where they make it clear.
I still cringe when I see gay people walking down the street, not looking left or right, too timid to acknowledge other people in fear. And you know what? Most of the time we have good reason. People still stare at couples walking hand in hand down the street, some even make sure that they’re disapproval is noticed. Even though no violence occurred, do you still think this is a hate crime?
We have all heard stories of homophobic policemen in the gay areas of cities, arresting people for nonsense reasons, some even getting called names. It’s because of this that most people feel animosity towards law enforcement, especially in small towns. They don’t feel welcome and it can seem like a waste of time and effort – but if we don’t report crimes, they WILL keep happening.
A simple solution will be to educate ourselves and our children. If someone sees gay bullying and does nothing, they are just as bad as the bully. Anonymous reporting is one of the most useful tools the police department has and without it, they wouldn’t be able to solve most of their cases.
What fills people with such hate that they have no other choice but to go violent?
It is shocking to see that the statistics are higher than ever, even now with more people being okay with LGBT legislation. It’s not uncommon during the middle of a civil rights movement that people retaliate against that community. With the media being so gay friendly lately, homophobic societies are forced to watch us thrive and be ourselves which leaves them faced with reality.
Even through the toughest times, we need to know that the best times are still ahead of us. The biggest hate crime one can do is to hate themselves. Never live in fear because of other people’s lack of understanding. Their problems are not your problems – keep breathing.
Stand strong. Report hate crimes. Don’t be afraid of the aftermath, because the alternative is worse.
They will do it again.
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