Source: Crimestoppers published on this site Monday 6 March 2023 by Jill Powell
What is hate crime?
‘Hate crimes’ are simply crimes that are hostile and prejudiced in their manner, when targeting a person merely as a result of their: disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation and transgender identity.
Here are some statistics to indicate exactly how problematic this issue is:
In 2018/19, there were 103,379 hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales, an increase of 10% compared with 2017/18 (94,121 offences).
The majority of hate crimes were race hate crimes, accounting for around three-quarters of offences (76%; 78,991 offences). These increased by 11%
between 2017/18 and 2018/19.
Sexual orientation hate crimes increased by 25 % (to 14,491 offences).
Religious hate crimes increased by 3% (to 8,566 offences).
Disability hate crimes increased by 14 % (to 8,256 offences).
Finally, transgender identity hate crimes increased by 37% (to 2,333 offences).
(Home Office, 2019)
10 quotes that inspire putting an end to hate crime
Many notable figures throughout history have spoken out against hate crime. Here are ten quotes from well known personalities, ranging from Martin Luther King to John Lennon, which encourage us to put an end to hate crime.
1. “Darkness cannot drive darkness; Light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; Love can do that.”
– Martin Luther King (1963)
2. “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
– Nelson Mandela (1994)
3. “Misunderstanding arising from ignorance breeds fear, and fear remains the greatest enemy of peace.”
– Lester B. Pearson
4. “Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?”
– Ernest Gaine
5. “In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.”
– The Dalai Lama
6. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m as famous for my wheelchair and disabilities as I am for my discoveries.”
– Stephen Hawking
7. “Attacking people with disabilities is the lowest display of power I can think of.”
– Morgan Freeman
8. “Don’t hate what you don’t understand.”
– John Lennon
9. “You cannot hate other people without hating yourself.”
– Oprah Winfrey
10. "Where there is love there is life.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
