Essay on Hate Speech - Legal, but Unnecessary

The hate crime legislations in the United States need to clearly define and identify hate crimes. Title 18 of the United States Code allows prosecutors to prosecute anyone who intentionally injures, intimidate, interferes with someone else, or attempts to do so, by force because of a person’s race, color, religions, or

The phrase “hate crime” is generally referred to as a criminal act against a person, a group, or property because of one’s race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation (Civil Rights- Hate Crimes- Overview). A person who experiences a hate crime may be threatened, harassed,

Hate speech; is this the type of speech that the First Amendment protects? Should this type of speech be defended? If this type of speech is censored on college campuses, have the students lost their right to the First Amendment? What kind of damage does hate speech cause physical and emotional? Who does hate speech affect?

In order to find truth to anything, one must make multiple suggestions, ask many questions, and sometimes ponder the unspeakable. Without doing so, there would be no process of elimination; therefore, truth would be virtually unattainable. Now, in our attempts to either find truth, express our beliefs and opinions, or generally use the rights we are given constitutionally, we are often being criticized and even reprimanded. Our freedom to voice our opinion(s) is being challenged, as critics of free speech are taking offense to what seems like anything and everything merely controversial and arguably prejudice. As people continue to strive for a nation free of prejudice and discrimination, where everyone is equal, safe and

Free speech is the backbone that holds democracy together.  Without a free speech, ideas would not be challenged, governments would not be kept in check, and citizens would not be free.  John Stuart Mill said once that, “If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person then he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.”( Roleff, 21). The right to free speech is essential to “egalitarian democracy,”(Tsesis) however, this right is not absolute and must be limited in certain situations.

What is hate speech? Hate speech is speech that attack a person or group because of the ethic background, race, gender, sexuality, religion or disability.

¨A hate crimes in any crime committed which is motivated by bias or based on the victim’s perceived membership in a specific group.¨(“Hate Crimes”). Hate crimes are the outcome when someone targets a victim based on their race, sexual orientation, religion, and etc… The question that should be asked is why people support it. Hate crimes are inhumane. Even the constitution states that all men are created equal, so what steps have we taken to stop hate crimes and how do we show everyone why it’s wrong. “The FBI investigated what are now called hate crimes

Envision ambulating down the street and then out of the blue someone shouts obscenities predicated on the way people look or because of what they affiliate with. Incidents involving animosity happen everyday, and most are looked at as daily occurrences. With the current state of hate speech laws, there is nothing that could be done to put culpability on the instigator. Hate has a strong connection to United States history. Slaves were a result of being hateful to those who were different, and Jim Crow laws were also a consequence of this hatred. As much time has passed since then, America has become more progressive, although there are still people who are hateful of others for they way they are. Hate speech laws are necessary in the United States and should be passed because passing them would create and foster a more tolerant society, help to decrease the negative risk associated with them, and prevent violent acts of hate which tend to be preceded by hate speech.

What is a hate speech for one may be an empowering speech for another. Many believe these speeches contribute to a wide variety of opinions and beliefs that allow for several different aspects of a situation to be analyzed. Others believe these words will start violent actions against those hated upon. However, old adages about sticks and stones exist for a reason: they are true. No matter the individual, people are capable of ignoring the hate if they so wish. Sometimes, many make claims so outrageous that not even the most zealous of advocates would argue them, bold statements such as saying all Middle Easterners should be tortured because they are all terrorists. It is not worth anyone’s time to argue against these, and creating a political issue surrounding that claim makes one appear foolish. However, several hate speeches are beneficial to the

It was never imagined all those years ago that hatred would be expressed through a computer to affect a person on the other side receiving the narcissism. Hate Speech has a very negative impact on those who are viewing it on the internet. That hatred is then passed along to others to share who have the same beliefs and want to condemn the people who are different from them. All this hatred is on the internet for the world to see. As a result, people have learned to accept it as a social norm in today’s society. This is completely wrong. People should not accept people’s negative criticism. Doing this will lower everyone’s self esteem or allow them to think that being racist or a bigot is acceptable and not punishable. People should be punished for Hate Speech on the internet, Since it IS a crime. The UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights article 19 states “Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression--It may therefore be subject to certain restrictions--For respect of the rights or reputations of others--For the protection of national security or of public order, or of public health or morals (Eissens, Ronald).” The majority of the Hate Speech is targeted towards gays, women, ethnic groups, and religious minorities. How can there be a bright future for the world when every few months

The relationship of free speech to that of hate groups, and the protection of hate speech under the first Amendment is a much debated topic of ethics and civil liberties. Although affirmative action protects against discrimination of race, religion, gender, and disabilities, it only protects from discrimination in educational institutions and employment. So how can a society that claims to protect civil rights allow the production of speech that opposes those same fundamental rights?, because this form of speech, although hateful in nature, are ideas, and “hateful ideas are just as protected under the First Amendment as other ideas” (McGough, 2015).

In the name of free speech, hate speech should not be tolerated. Hate speech has devastating effects on the people and communities it is targeted at. Left unchecked hate speech can lead to harmful and violent effects. Over the past few years, the effects of hate speech used on women, homosexuals, ethnic groups and religious minorities have become more and more apparent. Hate speech can be very divisive in many of the situations it is used, depending on who interprets the expression can vary how people react, due to hate speech, not being easy defend when it does not hurt that certain person or community. If left uncheck hate speech can develop into harmful narratives that remain. While hate speech is not against the law, some have begun

Hate speech, what is it? The definition of hate speech, according to Mari J. Matsuda, author of "Assaultive Speech and Academic Freedom, is "…(a word of group of words) of which is to wound and degrade by asserting the inherent inferiority of a group" (151). In my own words hate speech is a humiliation and demeaning slur of words specifically used to disgrace a person for their race, religion, or sexual habits. There is now a controversy if hate speech should be regulated on college campuses or not. I have read a few articles with the author being either for or against regulating hate speech. My opinion is that yes, we should regulate hate speech on college campuses.

We cannot just run into a crowded movie theater and yell fire. Similarly, it is illegal to make frivolous comments about a person when you know they aren’t true. This type of irresponsible behavior is prosecutable and could land you in jail. Free speech has never been a total right. There are a handful of restrictions applied to speech in this country in order to safeguard peace in our society. For example, the Supreme Court puts limits on speech containing fighting words, defamation, slander, and other speech that jeopardizes national security, or directly incites violence. Many other countries take it a few steps further by banning all speech that directly intimidates minority groups or those more likely to be oppressed. Hate speech is not an authentic form of expression and is not indicative of creative expression, symbolic or

George Orwell once famously said ‘If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.' This sentence sums up the very essence of free speech; it is, as Orwell believed, the mother of all civil rights. Without the unconditional freedom to offend it cannot exist. Ideas are, more often than not, dangerous things. There is little point in having freedom of speech if it only defends the most popular and innocuous of opinions. The freedom to offend can perpetrate racial, social or religious intolerance; however, conversely, it is also the only means available to fight against such bigotry. Free speech is not something to work towards when the world is ‘better'; it is, rather, the vital tool through