san francisco shooter convicted of three murders

Yesterday in San Francisco, a jury convicted Joseph Melcher on three counts of first degree murder and two counts of attempted murder for two separate shootings in 2006. However, while all of the victims -- Robert Stanford, Song Sun Lee and Kam Yan Li -- were of Asian descent, Melcher was acquitted on the hate crime charges: Melcher convicted of three murders, acquitted on hate crime charge.

How were these killings not hate crimes? Two fatal shooting incidents, at different times of the year, and all of the victims just happen to be Asian? Yes, San Francisco has a large Asian population, but it seems hard to believe that Melcher, who had no other connection to any of these people, just left it up to coincidence.

Sure, the hate crime enhancement wouldn't do much -- Melcher now faces life in prison without parole -- but isn't it important to acknowledge that there was something even more insidious going on here than just a crazy guy on a shooting spree? That's racist!