There is no First Amendment exception for “hate speech” in these United States. There can be unlawful defamation, fighting words, workplace harassment, real threats, incitement to violence, etc. But there is no “hate speech” category of prohibited words.
The left cannot stand this state of affairs. It is unable to compete in the marketplace of ideas. The left’s answer is to ban its political opponents from the marketplace, and to make normal Americans self-censor (or to force language permitted by the left). Which gives us a Virginia teacher fired for using the “wrong” pronoun, an ABC #MediaJackal calling for President Trump to be “charged with hate speech,” a Democrat saying normal Americans making fun of politicians should be “prosecuted,” etc. Deplatforming is part of this.
This represents a dishonest and cowardly attempt to add a “hate speech” exemption to the First Amendment without going through the process of amending the Constitution. The left could try to do that. But its effort would fail. So it is acting anti-constitutionally and relying on its allies on the left in the judiciary to do the hard work of discovering previously unsuspected rights “not to be offended.” (If it worked for abortion…)
The danger is that the left may succeed. It has succeeded in persuading the younger generation that “hate speech” should be outlawed. Once it is, remember that the left will get to define what “hate speech” is.
There is no First Amendment exception for “hate speech” in these United States. There can be unlawful defamation, fighting words, workplace harassment, real threats, incitement to violence, etc. But there is no “hate speech” category of prohibited words.
The left cannot stand this state of affairs. It is unable to compete in the marketplace of ideas. The left’s answer is to ban its political opponents from the marketplace, and to make normal Americans self-censor (or to force language permitted by the left). Which gives us a Virginia teacher fired for using the “wrong” pronoun, an ABC #MediaJackal calling for President Trump to be “charged with hate speech,” a Democrat saying normal Americans making fun of politicians should be “prosecuted,” etc. Deplatforming is part of this.
This represents a dishonest and cowardly attempt to add a “hate speech” exemption to the First Amendment without going through the process of amending the Constitution. The left could try to do that. But its effort would fail. So it is acting anti-constitutionally and relying on its allies on the left in the judiciary to do the hard work of discovering previously unsuspected rights “not to be offended.” (If it worked for abortion…)
The danger is that the left may succeed. It has succeeded in persuading the younger generation that “hate speech” should be outlawed. Once it is, remember that the left will get to define what “hate speech” is.