Racism denial in hate crime convictions

Within the past nine days, two hate crime cases in two different parts of the United States—both involving white defendants—came to a close. After juries rendered their guilty findings in both cases, absent were words of remorse or even regret from the convicted perpetrators. There was no lesson learned, no sense of self-reflection. Instead, both men uttered statements of complete denial about just who they are. It's not believable when a man convicted of sexual assault asserts, "I'm not a rapist," or when a convicted murderer says, “I’m no killer.” Equally unbelievable are the racism denials from Michael F. Jacques and Zachrey D. Harris.

Let’s start with the Massachusetts man, Michael Jacques, 26, who with two others torched a largely African-American church to the ground hours after America elected its first black president. The Macedonia Church of God in Christ, which was located in Springfield, Massachusetts, burned to the ground, on November 5, 2008, just hours after election polls had closed in the Bay State. Quickly, authorities launched an investigation as to whether the Tinkham Road church fire was a hate-related arson set in retaliation for the election of President Barack Obama. They concluded it was, and on January 16, 2009, authorities arrested three white men—Benjamin F. Haskell, 22, Michael F. Jacques, 24, and Thomas A. Gleason Jr., 21—all of Springfield, Massachusetts. Fast-forward past the guilty pleas of Haskell and Gleason: this afternoon (April 14, 2011) after almost three days of jury deliberation, Jacques was found guilty in a federal courtroom in Springfield of conspiracy to violate civil rights, destroying religious property, and using fire to commit a felony. Several minutes after the verdicts were announced Jacques said to reporters, "The jury got it all wrong; I’m innocent. I’m not a racist." Not “I’m sorry for the pain I caused the church members and the greater Springfield community.” No guilt-ridden apologies, no acceptance of responsibility for a race-based criminal act. No. Jacques’ short proclamation was all about race denial.

Then there is the case of Zachrey Harris, 23, from Colorado ski resort country. On April 6, 2011, a jury convicted Harris of misdemeanor bias-motivated harassment for hurling racial slurs at a black University of Colorado student, Mr.Olubiyi Ogundipe, a native of Nigeria, and his friend from Saudi Arabia, Mr. Ahmad Abdulkareem. Mr. Ogundipe was physically assaulted during the September 18, 2010, incident, but not by Zachrey Harris. However, a Boulder County prosecutor told Harris’ jury that Harris said to the two men of color, "We bought your parents, and we'll buy you." The men were also called "monkeys." News reports of the verdict indicated that Harris cried upon hearing the verdict. One might hope that his tears signaled regret for his actions. They did not. Instead, Harris’ racism denial kicked in, and he was reported to have said softly while still in the courtroom just moments after his race-based hate crime conviction, "I'm not a racist.”

Follow hate crime cases for any length of time and you will learn that such self-denials are not uncommon. Which is too bad because if there was ever a teachable moment for those prone to hurl words or fists at another simply because of the color of the other person's skin, then a hate crime conviction would certainly seem to be that wake-up call.