It’s the scariest free speech misconception since “fire in a crowded theater” …
This Halloween, beware of….
“Hate speech isn’t free speech” 👇 /1
This Halloween, beware of….
“Hate speech isn’t free speech” 👇 /1
We hear “hate speech isn’t free speech” all the time.
The problem is … it’s not true. /2
The problem is … it’s not true. /2
There are already exceptions to free speech, like incitement to imminent lawless action and true threats. Americans who tweet such speech can face criminal penalties. /3
We don’t need to carve out new, nebulous exceptions like “hate speech” that will lead to selective and politicized enforcement. /4
In a culture of free speech, we as individuals are able to speak our minds rather than be forced into silence.
Those with whom we disagree can also speak their minds in a free and liberal society. /5
Those with whom we disagree can also speak their minds in a free and liberal society. /5
Policing speech doesn’t make it go away. It sends it underground resulting in group polarization that will make things far worse.
Only dialogue and open disagreement can change minds. /6
Only dialogue and open disagreement can change minds. /6
Throughout history, those who have called for governments, corporations, or societies at large to silence others find that eventually the censors turn on them, too.
Times change. Power shifts. But censorship rarely weakens. /7
Times change. Power shifts. But censorship rarely weakens. /7
We can guarantee that if new hate speech laws were passed in the United States, it would be the least powerful who would be harmed the most.
Even views that LeBron believes in strongly would be targeted. /8
Even views that LeBron believes in strongly would be targeted. /8
Those who don’t trust @elonmusk should be the loudest advocates for as few restrictions on free expression as possible.
Restrictions can be exploited to benefit one side. Free and open discourse favors no side or ideology. But it does benefit mankind’s search for truth. /9
Restrictions can be exploited to benefit one side. Free and open discourse favors no side or ideology. But it does benefit mankind’s search for truth. /9
Just take a look at colleges’ four-decade crusade to regulate hate speech. This real-world experiment shows how subjective & nebulous restrictions such as “hate speech” chill free speech in often-surprising ways./10
From @glukianoff and @RealFakeTalia:
persuasion.community
From @glukianoff and @RealFakeTalia:
persuasion.community
The modern age of campus speech codes that began nominally with an attempt to ban hate speech routinely targets poor or minority students and faculty. /11
When the University of Michigan briefly enacted an unconstitutional prohibition against hate speech in the 1980s, it was almost universally used to punish students of color who offended white students. /12
.@marclamonthill was accused of hate speech by the chair of @TempleUniv board of trustees for pro-Palestinian speech. /13
thefire.org
thefire.org
A student group at Emerson College was accused of “anti-Asian bigotry and hate” after handing out stickers critical of China – despite many of the group’s members being Asian themselves. /14
newsweek.com
newsweek.com
Internationally, from France to Turkey, “hateful” or “blasphemous” speech could get you arrested, thrown in jail, or even executed. /15
youtube.com
youtube.com
In Kyrgyzstan, an author was imprisoned for “inciting hatred between religious groups” for publishing a book questioning God’s form. In Germany, police raided dozens of homes over “hateful” social media posts. /16
thefire.org
thefire.org
As FIRE's @glukianoff and @RealFakeTalia said: “Those who believe that restricting tenuously defined ‘hate speech’ will remedy our current social ills should be wary of this conviction… /17
…which they share with those who imposed the disastrous spate of campus speech restrictions beginning in the 1980s.” /18
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