Where do we draw the line between free speech and hate speech for text we print

1. 78

   ngurecoposted 10 years ago

   Where do we draw the line between free speech and hate speech for text we print on Facebook?

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2. 72

   Kathleen Cochranposted 10 years ago

   As with all our freedoms: your freedom stops at the point it infringes on someone else's.  If only we'd remember that, half the lawyers in America would be instantly unemployed.

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      retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Can you imagine the trouble that many idle lawyers would cause?

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3. 58

   retief2000posted 10 years ago

   There is no such thing as "hate speech," there is only speech. Either speech is free or it is not. When speech is not free you live in tyranny. Speech codes are tyranny.

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      KU37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      This may not have happened to you yet. I once spent (wasted) time composing my thoughts to make a contribution to HubPages that I thought was worthwhile. In no way could it be considered hate speech or spammy, but HP hid it because it was unpopular.

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   2. 58

      retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      We are not guaranteed an audience for our free speech, we are merely free to speak.

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      KU37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I would suggest that if someone has curtailed my audience's right to hear me, then they have curtailed my right to speak.

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   4. 58

      retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      No, it is that no one is compelled to be your audience. You are correct that if one is forced not to listen it is as much an affront to freedom as gagging a speaker.

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   5. 68

      KU37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      It's colonial America. You hear talk of a "free press". Thomas Paine prints 1000 pamphlets and drops them on the sidewalk. When you say "we are not guaranteed an audience" what are you talking about? And how does that work with "The Interview"?

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4. 87

   Rui Carreiraposted 10 years ago

   In different places... your line is probably not on the same spot as mine!

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5. 63

   Craig Suitsposted 10 years ago

   Hate speech writers should be banned from any publication... period. That's one of the things editors are supposed to do...

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      retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      in the United States, The First Amendment of the Constitution, the Supreme Law of the Land, requires that speech and the press cannot be limited by government. There is no "hate speech" only speech.

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      Robert the Bruceposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Craig, are we to believe by your words that you are against the First Amendment?

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      Craig Suitsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Horsepuckies. That is only true in general. So I can come to your house and badmouth you all day huh? I don't think so...Either do you.....

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      KU37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      "Are we to believe by your words that you are against the First Amendment?"  That is not an honest question, since it presumes the answer should be "yes" or "no".  Grownups understand that INTERPRETATIONS of the First Amendment always change.

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   5. 59

      Robert the Bruceposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Who gets to define "hate speech?" The government? Well, if you know history and current events you know how that ends up. (Nazi Germany book burnings, Chinese censure of media, etc...)

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      KU37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      "Who gets to define hate speech?"  I don't know, but I would hope it would not be decided in the top echelons.  I would hope there would be some public discussion about it.  We have a right to discuss it.  And I think a responsibility, too.

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      retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      KU, there is no hate speech. There are hateful actions. Speech is just speech. If someone comes to my home and shouts obscenities at me all day from the sidewalk in front of my home, it becomes harassment - an action. The words do not matter.

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   8. 68

      KU37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      retief2000, In Germany there are laws (I hasten to add that I am not antisemitic and also I disagree with the laws) that make it punishable to deny the holocaust.  It does not matter how brash your rhetoric, or whether it incites to violence.

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   9. 58

      retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      How sad, thank goodness I live where speech is not formally restricted by law.

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   10. 68

       KU37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

       retief2000, I share your opinions about lawyers. But wake up. I beg you to wake up. I assure you that you live in a VERY REAL world where YOUR speech is informally restricted terms and conditions of use and ever-changing GLOBAL social norms.

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   11. 58

       retief2000posted 10 years agoin reply to this

       The Muslim terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo demonstrates that the French still understand free speech. The freedom requires courage. A GLOBAL tyranny is impossible, even if it disguises itself as "tolerance."

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   12. 68

       KU37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Any honest discussion of Charlie Hebdo defies the tiny character limit allowed here on this "Q&A".  See forums "Paris attack 1/7/15", and "Je Suis Charlie - Is HubPages In Danger?"

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6. 61

   joer4x4posted 10 years ago

   One can not control another. No matter how hard one tries one can not crawl inside another to control their thoughts, actions, or speech. The best that can be done is to punish after the fact. And who will apply the punishment? Another man of course. One who thinks he is better than another man. One who thinks he can protect another. And just like one can not control another, one can not protect another.
   
   Given the reality of the situation the only correct answer is - every one is truly free to express themselves. How we take it is up to us.
   
   One can not talk of free speech then talk of limiting it. It does not make sense or is it logical. That is if you think about it honestly.
   
   So the question has come full circle Do you want to be punished for what you say.  And do you want what you say to be defined by another. Is there another better than you that you will be subservient to?

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7. 68

   KU37posted 10 years ago

   I think "hate speech" exists.  Both legally, in many countries, and in a general sense.  It is a question of where you draw the line, and also who your intended audience is.  I think it interesting that your question specifies "for text".  Images are an even more difficult question.  With Facebook, as well as HubPages, it's not always clear who our intended audience is, as they cross national boundaries.  I don't know anything about international laws on this, but I know that hate speech laws vary WIDELY between different Western democracies.  I think we need to be aware of two things.  First, might something we publish on FB or HP be considered hate speech to someone around the world?  Second, are the norms of free speech contracting without us paying any attention or even being aware of it?

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   Flipsgeraldineposted 10 years ago

   The 21th century man has made many advances in technology, in the medical field and so many aspect of physical existence but, he is lost spiritually.  He calls himself an individual without understanding that he is a product of his ancestors, his culture and his country.  While individuality is important to acknowledge, it is more important to understand that man is a social being.  This means what you do and say affect others.  If you drop a needle on the floor and don't pick it up and it later hurts someone then your individual action affected someone.  If you say hurtful things about someone regardless of the arena, your "free speech" your individual express will affect others.  The true question becomes does 21th century man care about how he affects others?  Not because he can yell "fire" in public means that he should.

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