Would stronger hate crime laws help prevent violence?

Authorities in Georgia drew intense criticism this week when they announced the shootings at three Atlanta-area spas that left eight people dead — including six women of Asian descent — may not qualify as a hate crime. The suspect, a white man, told law enforcement he was motivated by a desire to rid himself of “sexual addiction” rather than animus toward Asian women, a spokesman for the local sheriff’s department said.

Hate crime laws are on the books in all but three states. Though the specifics vary, most allow for additional penalties — such as extra years in prison — to be added in cases where a crime was prompted by bias against race, gender, sexual orientation or religion. Georgia’s hate crime law, which was enacted just last year after the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, adds a minimum of two years in prison to a conviction.