Are hate crimes really hate crimes? 

My teenage daughter and I were having a conversation regarding hate in the world today.  She was talking about how hate caused all these problems in the world.  I had to stop her and explain to her that she like most of the world had it all wrong.  How might you ask did she get it wrong?

First of all hate is an extreme dislike of a person or thing.  It is an emotion that leads one to avoid the person or thing that you dislike.  We label crimes that show a component of dislike for a religion, philosophy or lifestyle as hate crimes, when really hate has no component in the crime. 

What is the basis of violent hate crimes if not hate you ask?  Simply put, people commit so called hate crimes to either gain power over a person or a thing, get attention, or even for personal gain.  Their motivations have nothing to do with the emotion but everything to do with greed.

when an Islamic extremist walks into a bank strapped to a suicide  bomb there is no hatred of the people inside.  They do not even know them.  There is only a desire to bring attention to their cause.  Likewise if an abortion clinic gets bombed, there is no hatred involved just a feeling of superiority and a willingness to use violence to prove that superiority.

When a gay man or any minority is beaten to death it has nothing to do with hatred and everything to do with the perpetrators opinion that the victim is less than them and somehow deserving of their treatment because of it.

Is this feeling of superiority steeped in hatred? Absolutely not it is steeped in fear and ignorance. 

Hate crimes have the same motives as any other crime, having a dislike for something about the victim doesn't change that motive.