The recent spate of hate crimes against Muslims in Edmonton. The vandalizing of Pope John Paul II’s statue locally (correctly condemned by First Nations Assembly). Even the vandalizing of John A. MacDonald statues can also be viewed as irrational hate crimes.
Vandalizing is against the law and no imagined cause is holier than others. The latter two examples show the danger of ‘holier than other’ causes which are hate crimes unto themselves.
Retributive hate crimes such as burning down Catholic churches in B.C. are unacceptable; they only stir the pot and are the stupid, senseless actions of equally-bigoted lawbreakers which do not move desired causes of fairness, justice, and reparations forward.