Knocking Out the “Knockout Game”

A December NYPD CompStat crime report showed over 1,421 complaints against felonious assault. About 10% of the assaults may be attributed the "knockout game," in which a black kid goes up to some random white person and punches him or her in the head with the purpose to knock them unconscious with one hard blow. Members of the Jewish community have also been targeted. However, on December 26, the Department of Justice decided to charge a Katy, Texas man, who participated in a knockout game with a federal hate crime. Arrested was 27 year-old Conrad Alvin Barrett-a white man- with a federal racially-motivated hate crime for attempting to knock out an unsuspecting 79 year-old African American man. The Department of Justice said evidence of hate crimes will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted. That said, I looked at some of the knockout game videos on YouTube and wondered why targeting white and Jewish victims isn't a hate crime, as well. The plan of the attack in Texas was to hit a black person, post the video and see if it made national television. I believe every knockout attack, whether black on white, white on black, or whatever, contain the same level of despicability to be a hate crime. It's time not to be selective but rather fair and just. Treat all the knockout attacks equally and for what they all are!