I was called "the N-word" during a road rage incident - is this considered a hate crime?

I was in a grocery store parking lot yesterday and was the victim of a verbal road rage incident. The person claimed that I nearly hit him (I was literally stopped at a stop sign) and needed to get off of my F-ing phone (yes, the phone thing is another issue all together, but I did have it on speaker phone). Regardless of why it happened, this guy was clearly looking for a fight. The driver then proceeded to block my way forward and was yelling at me and flipping me off and all those fun things that happen when you're dealing with someone completely off the deep end. However, at one point he called me a "f-ing lazy a** N----r", at which point I tried to call the police. I wasn't able to get through to the police but wondered if, A) would this be considered a hate crime, B) if it is considered a hate crime, would there be any punishment, and C) if not a hate crime, what could the police have done if I'd been able to reach them?

It's not a hate crime. It's freedom of speech. Although he was clearly a jerk deserving of our utmost contempt, he didn't commit a crime. And I'm kind of scared for America that you think speaking freely is a crime.

It would be a hate crime only if the name calling were contemporaneous with another crime, such as a battery (him striking you).

If he had thrown anything at you, or hit you or your vehicle, then a hate crime would have occurred.

But prosecuting it as a hate crime would be a difficult
proposition, as it requires a heavy burden of proof since you are basically making someone's thoughts an aggrivating circumstance.

This is why the hate crime law is usually reserved for more severe crimes that often happen to minorities that do them great harm.

The police could really do little to the jerk, except send him on his way, and that's if he wasn't gone by the time he got there.

Oh, and in the future....try to stay off the phone while operating a motor vehicle. You wouldn't drink and drive, yet the phone conversations distracting drivers have been proven to be just as or more dangerous than someone who drives after drinking.

1. it could be a hate crime

2. the bush administration does not typically pursue any hate crimes, but depending on youre state they might

3. since no one was physically hurt and no property damage occured i doubt anyone would be interested in a he said - she said type situation and the police will tell you to forget about it

Yes because the N-word is pure and unadulterated hate.
If you had been called any slang word or derogatory reference to white people this is not considered all that bad.
Demeaning or belittling white people is Ok and, for the most part, could be considered humorous.
But using he N-word.
Definitely unacceptable and definitely a hate crime.

Unless it was a black person using the word.
That would be OK!

Kneegrow.

if your white..no.....

Insulting someone is not a crime. You do not have the right to not get offended. Get over it. If all he did was call you a name and you called the police over it, grow thicker skin.

White on Non white crime = hate crime
Non white on White crime = no hate crime.

Take a printout of the above for easy reference.

No it's called freedom of speech. There was no crime. If you were assaulted and the usage of words that are direct to the persons race, religion, sex, etc then you would have an investigation for a possible hate crime. If I was called to the scene I would have to explain the First Amendment to you.

As Mayor Koch once said: "If a black person holds up a white person, it's a robbery - if a white person holds up a black person, it's a hate crime."

You look a little pasty to be a black man.

No calling someone a N&^%R is just a dick thing to do.

1. Blocking your way, considered by itself, would amount to a minor (traffic) violation. The police might be able to act on that but most would NOT bother.

2. The "N-word" combined with all the other colorful embellishments would be considered a (minor) assault in only some jurisdictions.

3. Being on your phone while operating your car would not be looked on very well but in the context IS NOT likely to be an offense.

4. If none of the above actions where major enough to be considered a 'CRIME', then you couldn't call it a hate crime. Hating or verbalizing hate, by itself, is not a crime.

The police would probably have written up a report of some kind, asking you and the other driver to produce ID and documents. They would then either try to have the matter dissipated as simply as possible, or (if the situation seems DANGEROUSLY heated), they might actually place the heated parties in custody till they cool off.

In the event that either party tried to continue the dispute to violence at a later date, there would be a record of the original dispute on the system.

The black man's plight is different than the the white man's plight. Reaction will always be different when climbing up from the bottom than when tumbling from the top. Thus being called a n---- by a white person will tend to feel more offensive considering it's origin. If whites are not as offended by the word cra--- it's probably because the implications aren't quite as offensive as well as it's origin. That said why didn't you just get out and kick his a--? Oh, and no it's not a hate crime. As for you freedom of speechers, I agree but come on y'all that concept is truly limited in America so we can't just evoke that sh-- when we choose but then switch up in other situations. If I call a Jew a K--- publicly you can bet I will be crushed.

Yelling at you is not a crime, unless he threatened to hurt you. And in that case, no, that's not a hate crime

yes and no. If you have ever called your friends or they called you that, even in jest, well then your a hypocrite. It is not the name that is bad, it is the intention of calling you it. Remember sticks and stones break bones , names can never harm me. We need to be of better character and be able to accept a little name calling for betters sake. The one calling you that could learn a lesson as to who is what, based on your character. You can make a bad apple, good , or ruin the day with more BS.

depends on what N word he used. maybe you should use the S word back.

Jaime Jerome really has the best answer.

Not if you are a white person being called that! But if you were an African-American then yes it is a hate crime and you should be expecting the Rev. Al Sharpton to be on T.V. talking about it very soon!

I am not a racist! I hate everyone equally! If you deserve to be hated then I hate you!

I thought by now everyone would be over the race card! Guess that we still have not evolved to that point yet!

1. Disorderly Conduct
2. Ethnic Intimidation

I don't know the stric definition of hate crimes, even thought im currently taking a class called that way. :) I guess I need to read the book.


Anyway, I think him assaulting you by standing in front of you and challenging you to a fight, plus calling you the N word is enough to be a crime.

Of course it might not be easy to prove any of this to the police and depending on the person police may or may not do anything.

Certainly if the office who responds is black and who feels very passionate about black issues, he would probably actu differently than a white office. And police officers can arrest just about anyone at any time.

You must have done something to piss him off which is not clear from your post. (I dont justify his behavior, just a side note). If you were just stopped on the stop sign, what made him mad?

I would stay away from getting into arguments with strangers on the streets. A lot of shootings happen over road rage and other arguments between people who don't even know each other. Is it worth being right but being killed?