Can you convict someone of conspiracy because they thought about committing a crime? How would you ever prove that they "thought" about committing a crime? You can make it illegal to attempt to hire someone to kill another person, that is something you can prove. But, like "hate" crimes, you could never prove that someone thought about killing someone. Planning does indeed require thought, but it requires more than just thought. "Hate" is quite different. If a person went around telling everyone he was go to go out and "bash fags" you maybe could convict him of conspiracy to commit asault. But you could not establish "hate" because you cannot read his mind. Punish what they do not what you believe they are thinking.
