Preventing hate crimes depends on recognizing and identifying those who hate, and heading off violence before it occurs. An examination of religious hate activity illuminates the problem and solutions.
by Richard Wieland
Buford Furrow, Benjamin Smith and Larry Gene Ashbrook (from left to right) are among those who have turned hate into violence.
n an era that has seen hate violence reach hideous extremes, including the cold-blooded shooting of children in a Jewish community center and the murder of a postal worker because of his Asian heritage, the national discussion of hate crimes remains very much alive. The consensus is that the solution lies in prevention, and an escalating number of groups and websites devoted to curbing hate are springing up across the nation.