Virtually every western country outside the United States sees banning hate speech (and regulating free speech in general) as acceptable for the sake of promoting societal harmony in an increasingly pluralistic society.
Do you think the United States should join with the rest of the world, and adopt greater restrictions on the First Amendment, including a ban on hate speech?
----------------------------------------------------
Inspired by the International Herald Tribune article, 'Hate speech or free speech? What much of West bans is protected in U.S.'
Hey Honeybrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt.
I forgot mybrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt.
whabrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt.
Iforgot mybrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt.
whobrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt.
I frlkggbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrty. brrt. y. brrrt.
I forbbbbbbbbbbbr. Really?
I FORGOT MY FLIPFLOPS.
brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt.
It's gonna be a great week.
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt.
Travelocity. Never travel alone.
It's a bizarre turn of events. Reactionary policies are the norm among progressives. I reckon it seems paradoxical when you say it out loud. But you see so many examples every day. Of course it's harmful. Hate crimes legislation. No child left behind. No pass/No play policies wrt extracurricular activities. political correctness. Hate speech crimes. Anti-religious bigotry so strong that we allow ourselves to stop teaching the mythology of the bible in our public schools, even as we teach the Iliad and the Odyssey, simply because of misinterpretations of the intent therein. Of course, some of those policies came from politicians we don't usually label "progressive" (Bush's minions were the architechts of NCLB) but they were all progressive overreactions to some problem.
Of course it's a bad idea. Most progressive ideas are very bad ideas, but by their very nature they have mass appeal. And that mass appeal quality isn't limited to Menses Americana. The more progressive the society, the more progressive some of the ideas. Every once in a while, though, a progressive idea comes along that is good and it sticks. And that's not a bad thing. I just hope this progressive idea is one that is seen for what it is: paranoid overreaction with no great societal benefit and great potential harm.
Poll
