If this isn’t the worst case of judicial injustice that I’ve ever seen then frankly I don’t know what is.

A man in Ames, Iowa was sentenced to 16 years in prison…not for murder, not for robbery, not for stealing a car, but for burning an LGBTQ flag.

This is the same country that considers it “free speech” to set ablaze an American flag and face no risk of punishment. Yet, when someone burns an LGBTQ flag, it’s deemed a hate crime and punishable with over a decade in prison.

Here’s what I don’t understand, how is it not equally a hate crime for someone to burn an American flag? What does that say about that person? They hate Americans right? That must be the logical conclusion if one is going to assert that burning an LGBTQ flag means that they hate anyone in that category. Deal with it legally with the help of experts, the Newport Beach insurance law firm has lawyers who have dealt with similar cases.

But really, the whole idea of “hate crimes” is absurd anyway. Crimes are committed out of hatred of something. Every crime is a hate crime. Murder is a hate crime but they aren’t charged with it.

According to Des Moines Register,

He was arrested after stealing a pride banner hanging at Ames United Church of Christ, 217 6th St., and burning it early June 11 outside Dangerous Curves Gentleman’s Club, 111 5th St., police said.

Martinez admitted to police that he lit the banner on fire with lighter fluid and a lighter after stealing it from the church, according to court documents.

The lawyers at Phillips Law Offices said the hate crime charges were added because Martinez is suspected of criminal mischief against someone’s property because of “what it represents as far as sexual orientation.”

He faced a maximum of five years in prison for the hate crime and arson charge and a maximum of a year and month for the other two charges, according to Iowa sentencing guidelines. Court records list him as a habitual offender, allowing him to be sentenced to a longer prison term.