We as a generally pro-free-speech community shouldn't be celebrating these charges. Hate crime laws are exceptional. This should be nothing more than a simple destruction of property charge. This is Orwellian thought crime.
Hate crime laws aren't about ideas, they're more like laws against terroristic threats or laws making stealing an ambulance worse than stealing any other car. (just some random examples I thought of)
Threatening to shoot the leader of a political party has a bigger impact than, say, threatening to shoot your ex. There's the immediate impact on the individual, but beyond that, it has larger social implications because a bigger group of people is being intimidated out of exercising their natural rights as free people.
Hate crime laws were established because the klan was effectively using terrorist acts like lynchings to intimidate blacks and other minorities (catholics, for example) into not exercising their rights.
The government's sole purpose is to protect people's rights and it has a legitimate interest in making that job cheaper and more efficient.
They could've either:
1. stationed a shitton of government people all over the country so that minorities could feel safe running for office, voting, speaking their minds, etc
2. OR criminalize anyone weaponizing the already illegal crime of lynching (or any crime) against vulnerable populations
Hate crime laws have nothing directly to do with speech, but when they do touch on speech, it's specifically to protect speech.
Now a better argument against hate crime laws is that the fearful environment that existed during Jim Crow no longer exists. During Jim Crow, being afraid of being lynched for speaking one's mind absolutely used to be a legitimate fear, but I think nowadays it's kind of silly. No one born after 1990 has a good reason to fear it.
Though an interesting point by Null is that hate crimes against Jews has been rising recently. Though mostly by blacks.
Anyway, don't commit crimes and record yourself, that's retarded in any context.