Freedom of speech, "Hate speech" Thoughts on the subjects

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I guess I have views that differ from many these days on the subjects of free speech, "hate speech", etc.

I'd like to know how others feel about these things.

In a handful of years, I'll be 50.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me."

"I am rubber, you are glue; whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you."

Those were a few of the things we were taught when I was a child to deal with people who said things that we didn't think were nice.

For me, there is a large chasm between saying something that might be offensive to that person versus intentionally harming a person physically. They're not in same universe.

If someone were to say something to me that was insulting or hateful, while it might hurt my feelings, no part of me would feel an urge to call the police and demand the person be arrested and put in jail. None. Even though I would consider what was said to me as hateful, I believe a person is entitled to think what they want and, barring libel, slander or prompting, encouraging or engaging in physical harm against me, a person can say what they want. I'm free to disagree, not associate with or walk away from that person.

HOWEVER.......I believe my personal space as well as other's personal space is sacrosanct. Physically harming someone is at the top of the worst transgressions one can inflict on another.

What are your thoughts on the subject?

Perhaps I should add that I don't hate any group, person, etc. I'm not a proponent of allowing "hate speech" because then I'm free to fulfill some desire to speak hatefully toward anyone without punishment.

Last edited by Magna on 27 Jun 2018, 4:01 pm, edited 3 times in total.

The right to free speech means only that the government can't arrest you for what you say. It doesn't mean that anyone else has to read to your bushlit, or host you while you share it.

The First Amendment doesn't shield you from disagreements, criticism or consequences, either.

If your posts get reported and then deleted, or if you get permanently banned from this website, your free speech rights aren't being violated.

It's just that people reading your posts think that you're a complete idiot, and they're showing you the way out.


(The foregoing is a paraphrased version of Episode 1357 of the XKCD webcomic.)

When I was younger, I was in favor of hate speech legislation. At that age, neo-Nazis looked terrifying to me and so I wanted the state to silence them.

I changed my attitude towards hate speech after I started tolling racists on other sites. It's actually really fun. They constantly make asses of themselves.

If hate speech were illegal, I wouldn't be able to do that anymore.

When you limit the speech of one person, before you know it, you limit the speech of all people.
And besides, how do you define the term 'hate speech'. What is hateful to you may not be hateful to me and vice versa.

What would be considered "hate speech"? There are broad interpretations of what it could include.

Yeah. That's one of the biggest problems with hate speech legislation.

Many people on the extreme left think that every stereotypical character on TV is an example of hate speech.

Under this definition, several characters from The Boondocks (which was created by a black man) could be considered hate speech against black people.

Hate speech laws are oppression the government claim they use them to prevent violence but in reality its a tool of the elite. With hate speech laws you can manipulate a democracy to suit your needs.

... an extreme form of "Political Correctness", perhaps?

Yeah but much worse. By me there was a 19 year old girl who posted song lyrics as a tribute to a dead 13 year old on her private instagram account, these lyrics contained the N word. She was convicted given community service and a £500 fine.

A few weeks ago Alan Sugar the host of the British apprentice who is Jewish tweeted a Photoshopped picture of Jeremy Corbyn with Hitler, There were people calling for his arrest calling it hate speech.

Hate speech laws may have existed when I was younger but they have being enforced a lot more in the last couple of years.

I got into a flame war with an alt-right user on free speech. He claims there is no hate speech, only speech and that hate speech was coined by SJWs.

"Hate speech", "Hate Crime", what's the difference?

Most of the actual alt right don't support Free speech.