As most families in South Carolina will teach their children, it is important to do to others as you would have them do to you. Promoting this sort of kindness and tolerance will not only help them have happy lives, but may also help to protect them from legal trouble in the future. It is not always easy to remain tolerant of the people around you, particularly if they are going out of their way to make your life harder.

If you lose your temper in the wrong place or at the wrong time, you may find yourself doing or saying something you regret. Depending on what this is, you could face serious criminal charges. For example, you may fall out with your neighbor and make some threatening comments in the heat of the moment. This alone could lead to a police investigation. However, if your comments mentioned matters such as their national origin or race, the matter could be even more serious.

As this article on hate crimes explains, these matters are taken very seriously throughout the U.S. as they can lead to extreme civil unrest. As such, it is important to carefully consider your words, as even if you do not act on them, they could lead to you being implicated if a hate crime occurs in your vicinity. Furthermore, you do not need to lay a hand on someone to be charged with a violent crime. It is enough for them to fear that you might do them harm.As hate crimes are covered by federal law, the penalties can be particularly severe, so if you have been accused of such an offense, it is important to act quickly. An attorney may be able to advise you about what to do next and support you as you work to build your defense and avoid conviction.