Apparently, there was a recent case of "racial profiling" and criminal violence driven by racial hatred. A vicious crime was committed by a perpetrator who used lethal force against another person, of a different "race". The attacker's motive appears to have been, at least partially, based on racial profiling. +++ "hate crime" I'm referring to the Zimmerman case, recently decided by a jury. In deciding to acquit, the jury decided that Trayvon Martin committed assault and battery upon George Zimmerman, and that Zimmerman acted in self defense, to save his life and/or to prevent serious bodily harm from being inflicted upon him. In accepting Zimmerman's claim that he acted in self defense, the jury also had to accept the fact that Martin committed a criminal assult, first punching the Hispanic man (Zimmerman), breaking his nose, knocking him to the ground, then kneeling on his arms, and punding hi head against the the concrete pavement, repeatedly -- not stoppin, even when his victim's screams brought people out of their homes to witness the beating. Yes! That is exactly what the jury decided, in order to arrive at their verdict, after examining all of the evidence and hearing testimony from all of the witnesses. That is what the jury concluded, before they could vote to acquit Zimmerman for having acted in self-defense. The jury decided that the ONLY crimes that occurred were the assault initiated by Trayvon Martin and the battery committed by him. Now, was racial hatred a factor in these crimes? Perhaps so. Quite likely, in the opinion of most observers. However, the jury did not comment on the MOTIVES of the attacker. They only had to decide that Trayvon Martin committed the crime which caused Zimmerman to act in self-defense. If there was any profiling, it was done by Trayvon Martin, in choosing to punch Zimmerman, knock him down, and continuing to beat him to a pulp. Was there any civil rights violation, here? Possibly so: Martin probably "profiled" his victim, and treated him differently, based on Zimmerman's race. (It is quite likely that Martin would have acted differently, had Zimmerman been of the same race!) Therefore, there WAS profiling by Martin, and Martin's actions might easily be construed as a "hate crime". Of course, the jury did not rule on Martin's motives. All the jury had to decide was that martin committed the assault, and that Zimmerman responded in self defense.