It happens every day. In fact, it is pretty hard to avoid it. There are some things that can only be understood with a slap on the forehead. Things so mind-boggling that one wonders how humans managed to evolve thumbs while being this mentally inept. Case in point:
An 11-year-old boy was given a final warning by the police about shouting homophobic statements at a resident gay man. The authorities “thoroughly investigate any reports of hate crime – whether related to race or sexual orientation.”
I can understand the need to offer some sort of protection to gays considering the way they are treated in society, but to consider an 11-year-old hurling insults a “hate crime?” Does it really rise to that level? Is the 49-year-old “victim” really that traumatized by being shouted at by a fifth grader?
I wonder what penalty is if the boy decides to shout something else. How stupid would it be to sentence him to jail over an insult.
Toy Soldiers 
Hate crimes are a tough area of legal thought. Why is an 11 year old shouting hate? Where are his parents and what are they doing? THOSE would be my questions!
Well, personally I do not support hate crime laws because crimes against a random person or a know person are generally motivated by hate. If that needs to be an issue brought up in court, fine. But I do not think it is fair to treat crimes against one group of people as bad or worse because of who they are. I also do not think that insults rise to the level of hate crimes.
As a bisexual man, I would be offended by what this boy said, but involving the police seems a bit like overreacting. Surely just talking to his parents would resolve the matter.
this site is ridiculous if you really think it is okay to let one person be mean and hurtful to another. This child may not hurt someone now but whos to say he won’t grow into a person who will kill a homosexual neighbor in 20 years. This site is pathetic and your attempts to look like you want to help people are pathetic.
I am a straight man, however I do have gay friends, I mention this as I know that they would be appalled to hear that this sort of hatred and behaviour can be deemed to be acceptable, even from one so young. I think that two questions have to be asked, first of all how did such deep hatred evolve in a child of such tender years ? I think we all know the answer to that one. And second, would it be acceptable if he were hurling abuse at a straight lady, I think not, if his behaviour were to go unchecked he would grow up assuming it to be acceptable . I also feel that your flippant comment about him going to prison does you no favours, furthermore your line” the need to offer SOME SORT of protection to gays is both patronising and transparent.
The article does not give any context of the event or even the word the child used. Therefore, we cannot assume that the child acted out of “deep hatred.” He may have simply been hurling insults.
It is unacceptable to shout insults. However, the notion that shouting insults at a heterosexual woman would result in hate crime charges is laughable. Certainly some feminists would like that it, but it would be as absurd as the current case. Warning the child not to insult others is sufficient. Threatening him with charges is ridiculous.
It is unwise to make assumptions about a person you know nothing about. For instance, my younger brother is gay. I used to go to gay bars with him to help him pick up men. And while I have no particular interest in sex, I am bisexual. I have no issue having sex with women or men.
You may find the comment “patronizing,” but transparent would imply an element of homophobia, which would be quite problematic given the above information.