Late Friday night on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, a student was beaten by six or seven assailants. Just from that description of the events, any rational individual would say that a terrible crime took place, wish for speedy recovery for the victim, and hope for immediate justice against the assailants. The N.C. Supreme Court defined assault as
an overt act or an attempt, or the unequivocal appearance of an attempt, with force and violence, to do some immediate physical injury to the person of another, which show of force or menace of violence must be sufficient to put a person of reasonable firmness in fear of immediate bodily harm.
Nevertheless, in Chapel Hill, some assaults are more equal than others ? and therefore this one is a “hate crime” (several stories in campus and outside media: here, here, here and here). Why? Isn’t all assault a hateful act? The answer is, because the assailants made derogatory remarks about the victim’s homosexuality, as opposed to presumably regular derogatory remarks and insults, such as was heard in the case linked above. “Regular” assaults don’t warrant the political outcry taking place in Chapel Hill now and surely in the weeks to come. What makes the difference, apparently, is the kind of speech overhead while beating someone, because assault victims aren’t considered equals in the eyes of diversityniks.
