What's the deal with "fighting words" statutes? I've heard there's some old-time law that makes it okay to hurt or kill a person if he or she says something really offensive to you. The classic example would be racial slurs. Is this really true?
2007-12-11 13:15:12 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
Okay, I should clarify that I'm asking this out of pure curiosity only. I'm not planning on hurting and/or killing anybody. But there WAS one time when a stranger riding by in a taxi yelled "F*** you, you dirty whore!" I was wearing normal, no-offensive clothes and didn't do anything to provoke him, we didn't know each other, and I never said anything back to him because he sped away too fast.
2007-12-11 13:33:00 · update #1
havent heard of this one, i spend too much time on answers honestly!!!!
2007-12-11 13:19:28 · answer #1 · answered by Miss Rhonda 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They aren't statutes. They are cultural codes, popular in the days of duels, lynchings, family blood feuds, vendettas, banditry, high-noon shoot-outs, honor killings, vigilante justice, and other customs of people who have no respect for law and order.
2007-12-11 21:22:23 · answer #2 · answered by Snow Globe 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
there are a few types of speech not protected by the first amendment in the US. Fighting words is one category (direct insictement to violence).
here is some info
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighting_words
2007-12-11 21:19:58 · answer #3 · answered by rosends 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Words never give justification to murder
2007-12-11 21:28:10 · answer #4 · answered by Talkstress 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋