Hate is a universal human emotion. Everyone feels hatred at some point in their lives, but most of us choose not to lash out or are taught that it is wrong to use violence against others. Hate crimes arise when a person or a group decides to act on their hatred of another person or a group in a criminal way. Historically, the results have ranged from racial slurs and graffiti to lynchings, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. Sadly, hate crimes are not a thing of the dark and vanished past but very much a part of our present, both worldwide and in our own nation s cities, suburbs, and small towns."