What are the legal and rational arguments against hate crime legislation and enhanced punishments for haters?

There aren't any. It's just placing one minority in a higher status than society at large. When blacks ADMIT to killing white for racist reasons, it's not considered a hate crime. ANY time a white pserson kills a black person, even in self defense, there will be those who claim it was a hate crime. It's legalizedracism just like affirmative action.