Hate Speech
What is hate speech? If you look up the definition you will find a simple answer. Hate speech is considered to be anything that is disparaging to a person or group of people. When people use words to discriminate against a person or group based on race, gender, age, ethnicity,nationality, religion or sexual orientation it may be considered hate speech. Some people like to tell stories about people with disabilities. They tell jokes based on a person's gender identity. It is considered funny to poke fun at someone who is overweight. It is perfectly acceptable to call someone crazy when they do or say something considered to be abnormal. There is no doubt that this kind of behavior can be considered cruel. Some remarks are downright stupid. Should hate speech be illegal? This question has sparked a nationwide debate.
The United States Supreme Court has been asked to take action. Why do they hesitate? These words cause pain and anger, so why are people allowed to say or write them? The Supreme Court wants to preserve our First Amendment rights. It's as simple as that. This does not mean they are insensitive to the wide-ranging effects of hate speech. In fact, they believe that speech that has potential to cause a riot puts people in danger.
Should the government enact policies to protect the interests and rights of individuals or groups? Some countries have indeed enacted such laws. In some parts of the world laws have been enacted prohibiting speech that has the potential to cause harm. These countries believe that hate speech can cause violent behavior from the people who hear it. Many people disagree with this argument. Who is responsible for the violent behavior? Is it the person who used the hate speech or the person that reacted with a hate crime?
Many people argue that freedom of expression is necessary in order to spark healthy debates in our society. Others will say that sometimes freedom of speech can be harmful to the public in general.
People who support the idea of speech limitations will tell you that hate speech can cause fear, intimidation, and harassment which could lead to murder or genocide. This will cause people to live in fear and diminish the American way of life.
Those who oppose speech limitations are quick to point out a few points of their own.They believe that prohibiting speech in any way interferes with free expression. It robs us of free discussions and inhibits our free opinions. They will also tell you that prohibiting hate speech will not change people's opinions. Free speech advocates want you to understand that the value of free speech is more important than any harm that may be caused by a verbal insult.
There is no doubt that this is a volatile issue in our culture. Both sides have valid arguments. Both sides want Americans to feel safe and secure. They disagree on how this can happen. Yet it seems they agree on one thing they each want us to think about what is being said.
