Frank Zappa was right when he said, in front of a congressional panel that if we create the "piss police" to monitor what people put in their bodies, next we will ban smoking outdoors. He was absolutely right, and today we have the "thought police" where what you think is punishable on a greater scale than what you do.
This poll shows Democrats over Republicans believe we should have laws that punish "hate speech" more severely than just plain old angry speech. Now we enter the realm of who decides what is hate speech. First we must define the question "what is hate speech?" A good number of Americans believe it should be a criminal offense to "make public statements which would stir up hatred against particular groups of people." What constitutes stirring up hatred? This leaves the interpretation of hate speech up to the receiver, which would allow for hate speech charges for just about any kind of speech. Even the most innocuous speech will insult someone, somewhere, at sometime so where exactly is the defining line?
Any banning or criminalizing of speech that does not directly advocate violence is the slippery slope that will eventually end with no liberty or freedom, except that granted by the tyrant who is now in control. To even entertain the idea that speech needs restrictions because it might offend or insult is more than anathema to our ideals, it is an attack on the very foundation of all rights guaranteed by our constitution.
Shame on those Democrats (and Republicans) who consider it a good idea to stifle speech that they, and a good number of Americans find repulsive.
From YouGov May 20 by Peter Moore
Half of Democrats support a ban on hate speech
Since 1994 people convicted of federal crimes motivated by the 'actual or perceived' identity of victims have faced tougher sentences. Many other states had passed 'hate crime' statutes in earlier years, and in recent years many states have been adopting laws which make crimes motivated by the victim's sexual orientation of gender identity hate crimes which face tougher sentences, something the federal government did in 2009. Unlike much of the rest of the developed world, however, the United States does not make it a criminal offense for people to make statements which encourage hatred of particular groups. For example a prominent British columnist, Katie Hopkins, is being investigated by the police for referring to African migrants crossing the Mediterranean as 'cockroaches'.
YouGov's latest research shows that many Americans support making it a criminal offense to make public statements which would stir up hatred against particular groups of people. Americans narrowly support (41%) rather than oppose (37%) criminalizing hate speech, but this conceals a partisan divide. Most Democrats (51%) support criminalizing hate speech, with only 26% opposed. Independents (41% to 35%) and Republicans (47% to 37%) tend to oppose making it illegal to stir up hatred against particular groups.
Support for banning hate speech is also particularly strong among racial minorities. 62% of black Americans, and 50% of Hispanics support criminalizing comments which would stir up hatred. White Americans oppose a ban on hate speech 43% to 36%.
There is much more, read it all
This poll shows Democrats over Republicans believe we should have laws that punish "hate speech" more severely than just plain old angry speech. Now we enter the realm of who decides what is hate speech. First we must define the question "what is hate speech?" A good number of Americans believe it should be a criminal offense to "make public statements which would stir up hatred against particular groups of people." What constitutes stirring up hatred? This leaves the interpretation of hate speech up to the receiver, which would allow for hate speech charges for just about any kind of speech. Even the most innocuous speech will insult someone, somewhere, at sometime so where exactly is the defining line?
Any banning or criminalizing of speech that does not directly advocate violence is the slippery slope that will eventually end with no liberty or freedom, except that granted by the tyrant who is now in control. To even entertain the idea that speech needs restrictions because it might offend or insult is more than anathema to our ideals, it is an attack on the very foundation of all rights guaranteed by our constitution.
Shame on those Democrats (and Republicans) who consider it a good idea to stifle speech that they, and a good number of Americans find repulsive.
From YouGov May 20 by Peter Moore
Half of Democrats support a ban on hate speech
Since 1994 people convicted of federal crimes motivated by the 'actual or perceived' identity of victims have faced tougher sentences. Many other states had passed 'hate crime' statutes in earlier years, and in recent years many states have been adopting laws which make crimes motivated by the victim's sexual orientation of gender identity hate crimes which face tougher sentences, something the federal government did in 2009. Unlike much of the rest of the developed world, however, the United States does not make it a criminal offense for people to make statements which encourage hatred of particular groups. For example a prominent British columnist, Katie Hopkins, is being investigated by the police for referring to African migrants crossing the Mediterranean as 'cockroaches'.
YouGov's latest research shows that many Americans support making it a criminal offense to make public statements which would stir up hatred against particular groups of people. Americans narrowly support (41%) rather than oppose (37%) criminalizing hate speech, but this conceals a partisan divide. Most Democrats (51%) support criminalizing hate speech, with only 26% opposed. Independents (41% to 35%) and Republicans (47% to 37%) tend to oppose making it illegal to stir up hatred against particular groups.
Support for banning hate speech is also particularly strong among racial minorities. 62% of black Americans, and 50% of Hispanics support criminalizing comments which would stir up hatred. White Americans oppose a ban on hate speech 43% to 36%.
There is much more, read it all
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