This is the Cato Daily Podcast for Tuesday, June 30, 2009. I'm Caleb Brown.

Hate crimes legislation on Capitol Hill already has this support of the president, but why is it necessary?

David Ritger's legal policy analyst at the Cato Institute argues that if you want to give a platform

to those who commit crimes in the name of hatred.

Hate crime laws are a good place to start.

The faces of hate crimes, generally speaking, people go to Bird and Sheppard. These are what people use to get these things

through.

Yes, and the new legislation would federalize crimes against people motivated by racism,

violence, violence against homosexuals.

But history shows us that these crimes are viewed

as serious by the communities where they occur and these

perpetrators are prosecuted the full six-en of the law and receive lengthy prison terms.

The homosexual man who was killed because of his homosexuality

Matthew Shepard, the two gentlemen who did that, essentially crucifying

him and leaving for dead on the outside of the road, both received two

consecutive life sentences. James Byrd, the black man who of the white

both received two consecutive life sentences. James Byrd, the black man who was dragged to death in Texas, the white supremacist who

did so were all prosecuted successfully in a state court and received a lengthy

prison terms as well.

So if we're talking about crimes motivated by hate,

they're already criminal and they already get prosecuted.

And there simply is no need for this federalization of what properly should be viewed as state police powers.

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