Hate crimes decline in Texas and Houston

Houston Chronicle:

Recently released FBI "hate crime" statistics suggest Texas and its largest city, Houston, could be growing more tolerant than many other parts of the country.

While nationally the number of hate crimes climbed in 2006 to the highest number in five years, the FBI reported Texas' hate crimes fell to the lowest level in seven years. At the same time, Houston had the lowest per-capita number of hate crimes of the nation's 10 largest cities, the report showed.

That does not mean that acts of prejudice are nonexistent in the Lone Star State, as evidenced by intimidating nooses being displayed at a refinery in Baytown, an oil field equipment manufacturer in Houston and a high school campus in Pearland this year.

...

However, in Texas, the number of ethnic hate crimes was actually lower in 2006 than in 2004, the data show.

...

Not mentioned in the story is that Texas has no hate crime statute. Proponents of hate crime laws made a big push during the 2000 election campaign after James Byrd was dragged to death, but the punishment of his murderers, two received the death penalty, demonstrated how sill the idea was. How do you enhance the death penalty? It also demonstrated the importance of the Death Penalty that many like the NY Times try to denigrate. It showed that it has been evenly applied and the Byrd case was certainly an appropriate one for that punishment.

Texas and Houston in particular have always been very accepting of people who can contribute to the success of the state and city. It is one reason there has been such dynamic growth over the past four decades. There is also a low tolerance for crime and corruption. That sets it apart from other parts of the country where hate crimes are on the rise.

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