How Hate Gets Counted

On August 5, 2012 white supremacist Wade M. Page was behind the morbid shooting at a Sikh temple in a suburban Milwaukee town. He left seven dead, including himself. In a positive note, however, the massacre brought the town closer town together, but there was also a different response in a more bigot population. When this article first was appeared it was thought that the supremacists mistook the Sikh’s for Muslim, because of their uncut hair, turban, and beards. In actuality although, in this case yes Mr. Page mistook the Sikh’s, there has been a history of Sikh violence throughout history. A Sikh man reported that a vehicle pulled up next to him, rolled down the window and said “We want to kill you all.” Ten days after the initial shooting their was another incident where there was an armed robbery at a convenient store, with a Sikh man working. Nevertheless a coincidence, it is thought that it had more to do with the earlier episode. Reasoning for the thought that the convenient store happening wasn’t a coincidence is because of the statement neo-Nazi leader stated on his website “Take your dead and go back to India and dump their ashes in the Ganges, Sikhs. You don’t belong here in the country my ancestors fought to found, and deeded to me and mine, their posterity. Even if you came here legally, and even if you haven’t done anything wrong personally. Go home, Sikhs. Go home to India where you belong. This is not your country, it belongs to white men”. Since the incidents the F.B.I. has become more aware and tracking Sikh violence.

I have always found hate crimes interesting. It’s always viewed people as people, so it astounds me that people could actually have resentment towards a group of anybody. Personally though yes, I think hate crimes are a horrible thing, I think the best method we have to deal with such situations is time. As generations go by there is less and less racism and bigotry amongst Americans