Banned "hate speech" -- what is your opinion?

Question

Many businesses, colleges, and schools have banned “hate speech” that expresses views based on bigotry or racism. Some people believe that this is censorship and it violates the First Amendment right to free speech. What is your opinion? WHY?

Answer 1

Banning speech is always censorship. The question is whether it comes under the purview of the First Amendment. One could argue that a State University or public school is a quasi government entity and would then fall under the umbrella of the First and Fourteenth Amendments. Private business clearly is not covered by the Bill of Rights.

The issue is whether the schools and government should ban "hate speech." It seems that schools in particular should encourage a free exchange of ALL ideas. Those ideas that are truly repugnant will not need to be banned because the people will refuse to listen. Once there is no one listening the "hate speech" will die on its own.

The biggest problem with the "bans" is they tend to always go to the illogical extreme. Look at book bans, for example. The bans start with the noble idea of keeping porn and other harmful literature out of the hands of children. Who can rightfully argue that children should see porn? The problem is it always leads to banning Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.

Schools, government and even business should stop trying to protect us from ourselves.

Answer 2

Banning the speech does not ban the attitude! Better to allow the speech, even if you don't agree with it, at least you will know where the people stand!

Bans as a whole are a bandaid on a severed artery! They really do nothing, but look like they are helping!

Answer 3

I consider it censorship, as it attempts to suppress free speech. Also, what is considered hate speech? Is it a loose definition that can be applied to nearly any subject?

I know that racists and bigots are annoying, but they have the right to mouth off. They also have the right to look like complete idiots to society. Furthermore, they have the right to be on the receiving end of free speech from others, who don't necessarily care for their racist views.

Answer 4

This is such a crock. Political Correctness has got to end sometime soon, or it will make learned discussion a farce.

Why should any group, or minority, get a "free pass"? Am I not allowed to say someone is lazy if they belong to some "minority" group?

One time, I sent my sister a list of things to see in a certain European country. She was supposed to pass it along to a colleague who was travelling there. She called me up in a huff and told me she had edited out my "bigoted" remarks.

Well, my supposedly "bigoted" remarks were simply an observation that this particular Jewish synagogue/mortuary charged about 5-8 times as much as any other tourist attraction. I thought that was outrageous and said, "Unless your life-long goal has been to enrich this greedy Synagogue, don't bother".

In true PC Correctness fashion, my sister inferred that this was an attack on ALL Jewish people, as being greedy. When I easily pointed out her assertion was false, she said, "Well, it just plays into the stereotype! You can't say that sort of thing."

Wow, so if you want to bilk people out of money, just make sure you belong to some group which is renound for avarice! Then you get the "PC Free Pass" !!!

This is how I defeated her stupid argument. I replied, "What if I had been talking about Notre Dame Cathedral, and said, 'Unless you want to enrich these greedy Catholics, stay the hell away'. Somehow, this is ok in PC Madness, because Catholics aren't reputed to be greedy.

It's all ridiculous. We have to stop PC Madness. It stifles free thought, and discourages honest dialogue.

Answer 5

The First Amendment applies to government. Your colleges/schools ban more speech than any other institutions in America.

Answer 6

Businesses, and private colleges and schools have every right to do so. They have a constitutional right to assemble, as guaranteed by the first amendment. In the business I own, I would not, but support the freedom of business to tell the government to get out.

The limitation is on congress making laws which are contrary to liberties as expressed in the 1st, and other Bill of Rights amendments. ABC is not congress, neither is IBM. They can regulate however they want.

Answer 7

If it is a business or private school, they have every right to do so. If it is a public school or college or out in general, no that is what our freedom is speech is for. As long as what you say is not threatening you have every right to do so. Now expect pepople to be just a hateful towards you, but you can if you wish.

Answer 8

Free speech isn't free if there are subjective limitations attached to it. What one group considers "hate" another may not. If our ability to speak is actually "free", than we have to be able to say ANYTHING, not just nice things. Private institutions reserve the right to restrict speech, government institutions do not.

Answer 9

This is how it is done
First the most "unpopular words" go
Then the slightly uncomfortable words
Then the somewhat abitrary words
Then any words "the State" wants banned !!

You or I --may not like them
But, free speech is free speech-- you either have it or you don't
and with these latest moves--- THERE IT GOES LADIES AND GENTLEMEN ---ANOTHER COUP FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WANT US UNDER THE THUMB----PERIOD !!!!!

Answer 10

I think it is a terrible thing when people are so crude and ignorant that a rule has to be passed to control inappropriate language.

It might sound good on paper but you cannot control what a person thinks. Only education can change the thinking.

Only the fearful, ignorant, uneducated and undereducated use such language...only education can cure it.