What constitutes a hate crime?

By Andy Kober, Harris County Journal

I am confused about what constitutes a hate crime in today’s politically-correct, racially-charged America.

In a previous column, I said that Barack Obama would politicize the tragic shooting deaths that took place at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore.

He did and continues to do so.

In the context of that situation, I asked why it was not declared a hate crime. The gunman asked people if they were Christians, and if they answered yes he shot them.

He did not ask if they were Jewish, Muslim, Norse or even Druid. It is fairly clear to me he was targeting Christians.

I still do not have an answer why Christians were specifically targeted; it was not declared a hate crime.

Here is another situation.

During the very early morning hours of Oct. 5 in Sacramento, a white male police officer is sitting in his patrol car when he is approached by a black male. This individual, identified as 20-year old Juan Gomez, reports having just seen a person with a gun in the area.

The officer moves to exit the patrol car, apparently to look for this person, when the situation turns very ugly.

Though you have likely never considered it, when entering or exiting a car, pickup or SUV, you are extremely vulnerable. The car door is open and one foot is on the ground. The process leaves you off-balance, and with the door open you are unable to react quickly.

The Sacramento police officer, whose name has been withheld, learned that fact the hard way.

As the officer moved to exit the patrol car, Gomez suddenly and viciously attacked him.

From the moment Gomez began the assault, the officer was at a disadvantage. In addition to trying to protect himself, the officer had to protect his gun as Gomez tried to pull it from his holster.

As they struggled, the officer was calling for help.

Also on the scene was another black male, 35-year old Jamaral Lee. There is some confusion as to whether Lee just walked up on the scene of the assault or was a participant from the beginning.

Instead of helping the officer, Lee pulls out his smart phone and starts making a video recording of Gomez beating on the officer.

According to the news reports, Lee not only recorded the video, he might well have added to the violent situation by telling Gomez, “You can fight, but don’t grab the officer’s gun.”

Finally, some nearby private security officers heard the police officer calling for help and offered assistance. They might well have saved his life.

Both Gomez and Lee were subsequently arrested and taken into custody. I suspect some of the other police officers arriving on the scene displayed considerable restraint in dealing with Gomez and Lee.

The officer was injured in the attack. I suspect that when he does return to work, he will be a lot more cautious when exiting his patrol car.

I think it goes without saying that Gomez was looking to injure a police officer. He was not looking for a taxi cab driver, a garbage truck driver, or a parcel delivery driver. He was looking for a cop and he found one.

This might have been planned a month, a day, an hour, or perhaps just moments ahead, but that does not matter.

This was a premeditated assault on a police officer; perhaps not this particular officer, but any police officer Gomez, and possibly Lee, happened upon.

To me, that constitutes a hate crime against law enforcement officers.

The only difference I have been able to detect between this situation, the Umpqua Community College tragedy, and situations that have been declared as hate crimes, has been the color of the skin of the participants.

I think justice – hate crimes included – need to be colorblind.

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