HATE CRIMES ON THE RISE: Bad economy could lead to bad behavior.

      *The number of crimes against black people and members of religious groups increased in 2008, making up a growing share of incidents motivated by bias against a person’s race, religion and sexual preference, the FBI revealed in a USA Today report.

     Those categories accounted for 56% of the 7,783 hate crimes reported in 2008. Overall, hate crimes increased 2% from 2007. The number of attacks on blacks increased 8% to 2,876, accounting for seven of every 10 race-motivated crimes.

      The election of the first black president and hot-button issues such as abortion and gay marriage contributed to the spikes, anti-bias groups say.

      "There is this kind of extremism going on," says Hilary Shelton, director of the NAACP Washington bureau. He said President Barack Obama's election and the recession led to a backlash against blacks as some people look for someone to blame for hard economic times.

      Hate crimes based on sexual orientation increased 3% to 1,297,although the number of people victimized went up 13% to 1,706. Geo Vaughn, 23, of Queens, N.Y, said lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people are more vulnerable now because they are increasingly in the public eye in the debate over equal rights, including a California vote that overturned a new law allowing same-sex marriage.