By State Representative John King
COMMENTARY
South Carolina is one of the last states in the nation without a hate crime law. That’s not just a policy failure, it’s a moral stain. It tells the victims of hate-fueled violence that their suffering is not fully recognized by our laws. It sends a message to would-be perpetrators that bigotry might be tolerated here. I reject that message, and that’s why I support a hate crime bill in South Carolina.
But let me be clear: I support a bill that protects all of us, not one that risks turning into another weapon against the very communities it’s meant to defend. I support a bill that has safeguards. One that has equity at its core. One that is mindful of the long history of how the criminal justice system has treated Black people in this country, and in this state.
Too often, laws written with good intentions have been enforced with dangerous
consequences. We’ve seen it in the “war on drugs.” We’ve seen it in school discipline policies that push Black children out of classrooms and into courtrooms. We’ve seen it in gang enhancement statutes and stop-and-frisk policies. When it comes to law enforcement and prosecution, Black communities are too often treated as suspects, not victims.
That’s why I’m urging caution. Respectfully, I say to my colleague Rep. Wendell Gilliard: we need to slow down. Take a breath. Let’s make sure the safeguards are in place before we pass something that could ultimately harm our community more than help it. I know your heart is in the right place. I know you’re fighting for justice. But if this bill isn’t done right, we could find ourselves explaining to grieving families why the hate crime law named in honor of a Black man is being used disproportionately against Black men.
And I have to say this: I
don’t believe former Senator Clementa Pinckney, who was murdered in the Charleston massacre at Mother Emanuel AME Church—would want us to pass a bill in his name without safeguards. He was a man of justice. A man of thoughtfulness. A man who believed deeply in the power of government to do good only when done with care. His legacy deserves more than a rushed policy. It deserves principled legislation that reflects the values he died standing for.
This is not opposition.