guides humankind's behavior, also defines our existence as social beings, which is

inevitable.

 However, man is incapable of always respecting the basic human rights of others,

which is why society requires laws and the authority to enforce laws, which is regarded

as part of a society's core value system. The core value system of the United States of

America is embedded in its constitution and guarantees that each citizen is free and equal.

Because freedom and equality represents an important aspect of American society, any

crime that violates these values strikes at the core of its value system. Society also places

a great emphasis on protecting the basic human rights of citizens who are incapable of

protecting their rights individually. As discussed previously, bias crimes, in particular,

are more serious because of the intent of the offender. But, when a bias crime is

committed against a protected class of citizens, it warrants particularly close attention.

Natural law

 The historical underpinnings of basic human rights has been credited, in part, to

John Locke. Locke challenged what was referred to as the divine right of kings during his

lifetime, which stated that kings were chosen by God (Locke, 1690/1968; Miller, 1996).

Commoners were believed to be born into servitude and, as such, had no rights or

freedoms other than those granted by kings (Miller). Locke argued that natural law

"legislates freedom, equality, and therefore inherent rights for all." (Miller, p. 510).

According to St. Thomas Aquinas, natural law originates from the belief that human

beings are, by nature, rational beings, and this rationality is derived from God (Aquinas,

1264/1905; Higgins, 1954; Pegis, 1948). Further, human beings should behave in a way

that is consistent with their rational nature (Pegis). Artistotle had a different view of the

origin of natural law than Aquinas (Aristotle, 350 B.C./ 1962). He believed natural law