The general term of hate according to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary (2013) means intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury or extreme dislike or antipathy. This definition has changed over time. In the current format it relates more to an individual’s feelings toward another individual or group’s race, ethnicity, gender, religious affiliation, age, or disability. (Levin, Nolan, 2011). Hate doesn’t just apply to a teacher that assigns to much homework, a singer that lip syncs, or yogurt. It now means dislike because of African heritage, a person being in their seventies, or even a woman whom loves another woman. The term hate now applies to both individuals and groups, but also applies to crime. Crimes or hate crimes according to the FBI and Congress are a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.” (FBI, 2013) Some of these crimes occurred by those not affiliated with a hate group. The question then arises why someone who was previously a law abiding citizen would choose then to commit a hate crime. This was the case with Keith Luke who, the day after President Obama was elected, murder two African Americans and raped and shot a third. These actions were to prevent the demise of the white race according to Luke. Luke told detectives he spent much of his time accessing the internet for racist websites. (Levin, Nolan, 2011).
Acts such as these could be associated to a dehumanization of a group such as African Americans. The idea would be that these individuals did not share the same traits as humans therefore can and should be subjugated to a lower status or removed altogether. This dehumanization was also very prevalent during South Africa’s Apartheid. This saw people placed in to three categories, White, Colored, and Black. This categorization determined many outcomes of lives including, dining options, education, medical treatment, and a person’s career choice. Apartheid went