Wisconsin v. Mitchell | The Grey Area | Hammers High

In 1988, Mississippi Burning, a film based on murder of three civil rights activists in Neshoba County in Mississippi was released. This movie was a strong statement against racially motivated hate crimes in US and other places in the world. It showed them how society renegades humanity and degrades into a mass to stinking flesh.

However, in a string of events  which were rather ironical, movie led to a hate crime in Wisconsin and then led to a landmark decision in American Civil Rights history. A group of Afro-Americans, allegedly drunk, were discussing the film. There was a sense of angst in air. Todd Mitchell instigated them and as a result they beat up a young white kid in his pre-teens - Gregory Reddick. Reddick’s only fault was his skin color. Mississippi Burning triggered something it stood against, a tragedy. Reddick was brutally beaten and left in the middle of the road. Attackers presumed him to be dead. After sometime, Reddick was found unconscious by Police. He remained in coma for four days and slowly recovered.   

In an interesting trail of events, this case became a precedent to First Amendment after the case went to Supreme Court. Circuit Court sentenced Mitchell for four years as his crime was racially motivated. It was appealed. Supreme Court ruled that a state may consider whether a crime was committed or initially considered due to an intended victim's status in a protected class. More details on the court case could be found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_v._Mitchell and other link present on the page.