Hate Crimes

Howard Beach! The Central Park Jogger! The Assassination of Alan Berg! Vincent Chin's Murder! The Portland Skinhead Slaying! Headlines scream of the latest in a wave of hate crime attacks. Hate crime-violence aimed at individuals because they are members of a particular group - were once considered the rare illegal actions of a small but vocal assortment of extremists who thrived on hating minorities. No more. Hate crimes have been sweeping the nation - as well as the world. They are happening in even the most unlikely of places. Whereas college campuses at one time epitomized the lofty principles of tolerance, diversity, and idealism, they have now become the repositories of hatred and division. Hate is hip on campus, as evidenced not only by the popularity of racist and misogynistic music, but by the recent rash of attacks against blacks, women, Asians, Latinos, Jews, and gays. These perceptive authors step back to reveal how the campus of hate has become a microcosm for the world at large. This expose by Jack Levin, one of America's leading sociologists and co-author of Mass Murder: America's Growing Menace, and Jack McDevitt, America's foremost authority on hate crimes, explores the spreading venom of prejudice and bigotry in our society and the world. They proclaim that political correctness - as in tolerance of diversity - is no longer deemed fashionable but, rather, obsolete. Organized hate groups have been taking our alienated youth by storm. But beyond bemoaning our present crisis, Levin and McDevitt set forth practical guidelines on how to stem the rising tide of hate. These experts persuasively argue that as the economic pie shrinks, a new type of terrorism is leaving a trail of bloodshed and destruction in its wake. For anyone who is different, the message of this new brand of terrorism is unmistakable: Either flee or be killed. These courageous and provocative analysts force us to face a spiraling problem around us as well as the prejudices within