Posted on 10/22/2018 2:11:15 PM PDT by Perseverando
Intolerance and illiberalism, nakedly defined as abstractions or principles, are seldom if ever outwardly embraced by progressives.
None but the most extreme will argue that intolerance and censorship are good things in themselves. Normally the preferred course is more subtle.
Instead of openly arresting people who say the wrong things, the new purveyors of intolerance try to sublimate their prohibitions on speech, expression, and thought into more popularly accepted channels. Something must be done to make these prohibitions more palatable, because there is still a great deal of respect in America for freedom of thought, speech, and expression.
How to do that? The answer is quite simple: Change the subject. Shift the gaze away from the sanctity of speech to something more wholesome—to the feelings of minorities, for example, or to the supposed desire to live in more diverse communities.
One of the most popular strategies is to carve out a special category of speech that, in theory at least, leaves the rest of free speech alone. If this can be done, speech can be regulated and criminalized without involving a direct assault on the First Amendment.
A prime example of parsing good speech from bad is the notorious notion of “hate speech,” which involves designating certain kinds of remarks, gestures, expressions, and writings as intentionally hateful and thus worthy of regulation and even criminalization.
Attempts to prohibit hate speech and hate crimes have been around for years in the United States. Appropriate efforts to condemn symbolic acts of violence such as cross burnings by the Ku Klux Klan have expanded over the years to include all sorts of alleged speech and thought crimes.
Today a public statement against illegal immigration or same-sex marriage can be labeled hate speech.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailysignal.com ...
Fake news. I could not get past the lie of the first sentence.
To paraphrase the late, great Joe Sobran, “hate speech is any speech that liberals hate.”
Except when talking about Christianity, white people, America, the great scientific accomplishments of white people, etc.
What garbage.
At least ‘hate’ is an honest emotion.
Failing to hate what is worthy of hate is bad.
TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.
THAT'S WHAT I ALWAYS SAY!!!!
During that time a national discussion arose as to whether or not to reinstate the draft. We Libertarians formed to coalition to oppose such a policy. The coalition included a number of far Left groups.
During one of our organizational meetings a long forgotten issue arose, but I will never forget a member of the Socialist Workers Party, a Trotsky oriented Marxist group, stating: "Oh, and are we now going to allow hate speech?".
I dismissed his words (after all, consider the source), but today am somewhat disturbed that a phrase offered by a member of a small splinter Marxist group has become central to our political dialogue.
Fake news, and full of lies.
What country is she talking about? the US?
Defending Free Speech means defending speech that is offensive. Offensive speech is subjective. Like the label ‘Washington Redskins’ offends some, others don’t really care. It’s those that demand to make determinations that want to control thoughts and deeds. Ain’t gonna happen here.
Democrats, media and liberals.
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