[Peace-discuss] controlling "hate speech to incite violence"

[Karen Medina]

Dear Peace Discuss,

On the radio news, I hear more and more people talking about "hate speech
to incite violence" and how some people are interested in writing laws that
would make some speech a punishable crime.

This is not a new problem. This is not something that just started
yesterday. This is as old as the first spoken word spoken.

As for inciting violence, I believe that committing violence is in the hand
that commits it*, not in the voice of the inciter. On a slight caveat, I do
however believe that words are used to hurt others, sometimes
intentionally. I do not believe that the solution is to punish the speaker
of the words.

I will defend the right to free speech even when it is hate speech. But do
not confuse my defense of the human right with the defense of the hate.

I will not give that person a bullhorn, but I also will not silence that
person. To completely silence hate is to drive it into fermentation.

I will not listen. But I also do not seem to have enough time to speak on
the other side of the issues. I do not want to silence, but what is the
answer to hate speech? Is the answer to exercise my own free speech? Or to
pay money (if I have any) to support voices that I agree with? Are there
any voices that I completely agree with?

Let us say that I do find a group that I completely agree with. If I pay my
money to a group that is speaking for me, does that mean that the guy down
the street with more money has a louder voice when he financially supports
the opposing group?

One related question that comes to my mind quite often these days is "How
should we deal with a bully?" And maybe that is really the question that
should be asked instead of "How do we write laws criminalizing hate speech
that incites violence?"

When we are bullying, do we see it as bullying?

Any law that criminalizes any type of speech will be used against the
anti-war activists, no matter how peaceful we are. Even among anti-war
activism there are different tactics, so we are not all just exercising our
free speech. There are some peace activists that would incite violence with
their speech. Then there are "peace activists" that would throw stones
during a gathering. The first two are not crimes.  But, if there are laws
written to control hate speech, then all three of anti-war activists would
be legally punished.

Another conversation in my mind is isn't "silencing the hate speech" part
of how the the current set of wars (the large "war on terrorism") is being
sold to the citizens of the United States?

Why does any person believe that silencing speech is good?

-- karen medina

* RE: violence is in the hand that commits the violence. A certain lesser
culpability extends to sanctioned violence. I will give a few instances of
varying direct contact:
 -- If I threaten the rich guy down the street
 -- If I hire someone to hurt the rich guy down the street
 -- If I expect the police to take action against the guy down the street
but not against my family
 -- If I allow laws to exist that criminalizes the guy down the street but
not my family
 -- If I pay taxes that support a government that sends my neighbor down
the street off to war
 -- If I pay taxes to a country that develops weapons.
 -- If I pay taxes to a country that develops weapons that are then sold to
other countries.
 -- If I pay taxes to a government that spends money supporting another
government to develop weapons and tactics that are then shared with our
police. And those tactics are so well-developed because they are being used
against a race of people.
 -- If I allow my government to implement an action like the "Trail of
Tears"
 -- If I allow my government to implement the internment of people of
Japanese ancestry during World War II
 -- If I allow my neighbor to hire people to work in the fields producing
food and not allow them their human rights.
 -- If I pay taxes to incarcerate people
 -- If I pay taxes to incarcerate people, sometimes including beatings.
 -- If I pay taxes to incarcerate people in solitary confinement. (there
are acts of violence that have no visible wounds)
[... and the list goes on and on ...]
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