Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't hate crime prosecution still the prosecution of illegal ACTS, with stiffer penalties applied because of the nature (i.e., "hate") of the act?

If this is the first step down a slippery slope, it is a small step indeed.

With this in mind, I think it's funny that the nature of the act (the "hate") isn't, by itself, a crime. The KKK can hold rallies, burn crosses, etc. all they want, to express their views, but when those views are combined with a crime, all the sudden, those views become a factor in how heavily the crime is prosecuted. It does seem to be a double standard..

That being said, I have a very difficult time sympathizing with the plight of anyone who's committed any crime, and even more of a difficult time sympathizing with anyone who hates others on the basis of race, religion, etc. So this inequity isn't going to bother me all that much... It's a double standard, but it's not going to keep me awake at night. There are far worse injustices in our legal/criminal justice system.

BTW the words you quoted in your post weren't mine... Just wanted to make that clear, since you replied to my post but cut-and-pasted FerretBoy's original statement.