Hate Crime Essay

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Recommended: The impact of crime on society

Courtney Brooks
Professor Lee
Writing Public Arguments

Essay 4: Abortions, Smoking Bans, and Hate Crimes: Catalysts of Social Change
There have been numerous events throughout history that have been harbingers for social change. Crimes ranging from petty theft to murder have given humanity the motivation needed for social revolution. Without crime as a part of everyday life, the many issues that are often overlooked by those in authority would continue to go unnoticed and worsen over time. The consequence of this hidden misconduct is social unrest, which results in defiance. This rebellion leads members of society to a crossroads that will give them the option to either overhaul or sustain the current social policies. Topics such as abortion, smoking bans, and hate crimes have all at one time or another become catalysts of social change in progressive societies. Whether it was initially believed to be a crime or had later developed into one, each of these issues required some level of reevaluation in order for society to push forward and prosper.
Abortion is not a new concept. The earliest known abortion dates back to 1550 BC Egypt. However, it was not until the 19th century that laws regarding abortion were made. In the mid 1800s the law stated that abortion was illegal and in most cases considered to be a criminal act (History of Abortion, 2010). The prohibiting of abortion in the United States came from a fear of the recent immigrants becoming the dominant ethnicity over those of European decent (National Abortion Federation, 2010). Despite the laws prohibiting aborting pregnancies, there were still a number of women who sought out doctors that would perform the operation behind closed doors. These secretive procedures m...

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...nscience.
Crime is an unavoidable part of any advanced society and helps to reinforce moral boundaries and assist in needed social change. Crimes, or topics that involving crime or law, that help describe this characteristic are abortions, smoking bans, and hate crimes. Many people feel as though there is nothing good about crime and think that all crime does is cause the people involved to become restless and scared. That, however, is not the case because without crime to tell a society what changes need to be made, be it social, economical, or political, there would be no need for any advancements and many of the day to day devices people have grown accustomed to may not exist. Therefore, societies should limit the amount of crime but also realize that it was once a crime somewhere throughout history that gave people today the freedom to walk around without fear.

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