Um…that would have been me, way back in the beginning.
[QUOTE]
You’re not simply attacking one person, you are marking a specific segment of the community as vulnerable to violent intimidation, usually in an effort to either a)stop a behavior or b)make them go away or c)just eliminate them altogether. This also tends to be a signal that other offenses are likely (i.e. targeting another member of the same group)/QUOTE]
To be fair, it was tacked on at the end, but I thought that it was a given, and I believe that lissener also pointed it out.
But for me, this is one of the most compelling reasons for increased punishment.