On New Years Day, 1993, a black man, Christopher Wilson, was set on fire and burned more than 40 % of his body. His attackers, Mark Kohut and Charles Rourk, were white. They left a message near his body signed "KKK" (Deborah Able, 9). This is only one of many hate crimes that have been documented since 1990 through today. This man lost his life because of the race he was born into. "Because of this democratic tradition of tolerance for all, hate crimes appear even more horrible than any other acts of violence" (Deborah Able, 10).
             "In 1991, thirty-five hate-motivated murders of minority Americans by white killers were recorded in the United States" (Joe R. Feagin and Hernan Vera, 19). Not only blacks are discriminated against; gays, lesbians, bisexuals, Mexicans, Chinese, and many other minorities also get discriminated against. Although society has come a long way, at one time segregation kept blacks and other minorities in repression. Hate groups and racism have been serious problems throughout history, but Affirmative Action has tried to give minorities back their rights.
             Three of the most obvious similarities among hate group members are their age, sex, and their race. A white man kills two black men seen jogging with two white women. Angered by Anita Hill's testimony before the Senate, a thirty-five year-old man opens fire in a cafeteria killing twenty-one people; two teenagers deciding to "beat up a fag," rob and kill a man who they believe to be gay. All of these stories are real examples of hate crimes. Hate crimes are based on an intense dislike for a group or person because of race, religion, gender, or sexual preference. Unfortunately, violence based on hatred is on the rise in the United States.
             Most members of hate groups are white males under the age of thirty (Deborah Able, 63, inside cover). Even people who aren't in hate groups engage in hate crimes ever...