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I’m afraid we’re falling onto the mindset of the Progressives that are reshaping our society.

I totally reject the concept of thought/hate crimes. It allows an intrusive society to create castes with special privileges and protections. Free speech cannot endure once this concept is accepted.

Punish the action for what it is. Vandalism and theft.

I’m afraid we’re falling onto the mindset of the Progressives that are reshaping our society ... I totally reject the concept of thought/hate crimes. It allows an intrusive society to create castes with special privileges and protections. Free speech cannot endure once this concept is accepted ... Punish the action for what it is. Vandalism and theft.

Freedom requires that there is a shared sense of culture and a shared set of ethics that bind the people together. While you are right that free speech cannot endure the existence of thought crimes, you cannot have free speech if people don't have the right to fully censure and punish those who blatantly violate that set of ethics.

The law shouldn't punish them. But the people should. However, we are not allowed to discriminate and censure in order for free and ethical people to essentially exile such people as this from normal society. They should be unable to enter a store, apply for a job, ask for charity (more likely), enroll in a school, go to a theater, and so on, without having to convince the people that they are repentant and changed. But we cannot do so, due to the manufacture of "rights" that are actually undermining the basic tenets of freedom. And thus, we have a quandary. We expect freedom, yet we are denied the tools upon which freedom depend -- the right to discriminate and deny access to society for those who choose to live outside the common norms of that society.