Monday, April 21, 2014
Congressional Democrats Making Huge Mistake Targeting Hate Speech
Democrats Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Hakeem Jeffries of New York want to clamp down on what can be said on radio under the rubric of "hate speech," and it's a terrible idea. Government should stay as far away from broadcast content as possible. And who will define "hate speech?" Hate speech can be anything you disagree with. It can be speech directed at a person who is offended. There is no asterisk in the Constitution that says "except for hate speech."
"With bills in the House and Senate, the lawmakers would direct the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to "analyze" media outlets -- including radio -- to determine if they're working to "advocate and encourage" hate crimes."
Oh, and how are they going to "analyze" media outlets? Using what metric?
"Tying their bill to this week's alleged white supremacist shootings in Kansas, Markey says it is "critical to ensure the internet, television and radio are not encouraging hate crimes or hate speech." He brushes aside expected First Amendment arguments, saying "criminal and hateful activity" aren't covered by the Constitution."
Well, the Constitution isn't something to "brush aside." And, no matter how many heinous crimes are committed by deplorable white supremacists, it's inane to make the case that it's because something someone said on the radio. It takes more than a ranting talk show host to instill the kind of hate in someone that spurs on this kind of depraved behavior.
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6 comments:
Democrat = Ignorant. Its an equation that should not be but with increasing regularity is true.
Some of the most hateful and mean spirited things have been said by liberal broadcasters. All you have to do is think back to Sarah Palin, and before that George Bush. Any reasonable person would think that the statements were terrible but the current guardians of decorum were silent back then , or worse they were in agreement with what was said. Their current definition of hate speech would them and their liberal mouthpieces for what was said back then.
The Democrat/Socialists/totalitarians do not, repeat, do not act out of ignorance. They know exactly what they're doing. Their mission is to eliminate all opposition to their ideology. This is a multi-facited attack, part of which is the total silencing of any voice of descent. The PC speech movement in academia and the media was the first wave of this, and as they encountered minimal push back, phase two will involve speech "czars" and real jail time for those daring to commit a thought crime.
Orwell had it right. Those who control speech, control the minds of the masses.
Scoff at your own peril.
The lib intellectuals and media types should reflect on history when they support these restrictive porwer elites. They should think what happened when the political class they backed gained no credible opposition. Think of Stalin, Moa, Po-Pok, and Castro and purge they unleashed on their populous, especially the despots' new threat: the intellectuals and the media, or THEM. Without any real opposing power, all despots will look for those that may have any power to challenge, whether they will or not. History will repeat if the lesson isn't learned.
I think it bares repeating:
"HATE SPEECH" is free speech: The U.S. Supreme Court stated the general rule regarding protected speech in Texas v. Johnson (109 S.Ct. at 2544), when it held: "The government may not prohibit the verbal or nonverbal expression of an idea merely because society finds the idea offensive or disagreeable." Federal courts have consistently followed this. Said Virginia federal district judge Claude Hilton: "The First Amendment does not recognize exceptions for bigotry, racism, and religious intolerance or ideas or matters some may deem trivial, vulgar or profane."
We can never be sure that the opinion we are endeavoring to stifle is a false opinion; and if we were sure, stifling it would be an evil still.
-John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, 1859
The only valid censorship of ideas is the right of people not to listen.
-Tommy Smothers
Censorship reflects society's lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime.
-Potter Stewart
Wherever they burn books they will also, in the end, burn human beings.
-Heinrich Heine, Almansor, 1823
If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.
-John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, 1859
The test of democracy is freedom of criticism.
-David Ben-Gurion
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