Phil Ayesho
Superior Member
I think tolerance is an American virtue, or at least we think it is. We get concerned when any form of speech is stifled.
Actually, I find that most Americans would gladly censor other people's speech. Just in different areas...
Only a small core of Americans really understand the importance and scope of what freedom of speech really means...
We make laws that are unconstitutional and always overturned... eventually.However, one of the exceptions we make is for hate speech. We make laws against that.
Its jsut politician pandering to the fact that most Americans are closet dogmatists who would prevent people from speaking freely on the subjects they find offensive.
You can not censor hate speech in America thru law. ( hate crimes are another matter, involving actions that are terrorizing in nature and aimed at a groups rather than an individual... i.e. even though they may attack an individual... they have no specific grievance against the individual, but are treating the individual as a representative of some group)
The closest we have come is that if your hate speech incites others to commit hate crimes... then you can be SUED over the damages incurred.
But this is no different than all law governing freedom of speech...
for example... you are free to shout FIRE in a crowded theater... but if there ain't no fire... those injured are free to sue you for the damages caused.
You are free to say anything about anyone... ( you can not be jailed nor cited for it ) but if what you say can not be proven to be true...and damages another's reputation, they are free to sue you for that damage.
Maximum freedom of speech is concomitant with maximum responsibility for your own conduct.
I know I could put anyone on my ignore list, but I am not trying to protect myself from anti-semitism. I am trying to express my outrage at it and make sure it is not encouraged.
It should not be ignored.
It should not be censored.
This is a marketplace of ideas.
When folks say such astoundingly stupid things the proper response is not outrage... its ridicule.
Such imbeciles LOVE to provoke...
But no one likes being laughed at.
And these kinds of myopic, moronic, and massively mistaken missives should be soundly sarcasmed at every opportunity.
The guy/gal's a troglodyte...
Clearly, the missing link between apes and modern man.