Does Free Speech cover the right to use racial slurs?
Submitted by Ralph Waldo on Thu, 11/26/2009 - 14:43
As I understand it, free speech protects the right to use unpopular and controversial speech, expressions and opinions. So the question is: Does free speech protect the legal right to use racial slurs?
I have a number of multi-cultural friends and we get a big laugh out of going to public places (bars) and calling each other anything we want, just to see the looks on people's faces. Many seem to forget that free speech is still in fact the law of the land and humor can heal a lot of things.
Is there any such thing as a racial slur?
A racist is someone who believes in the existence of race or various races. I don't believe humans are divisible by race. There exists different shades of skin color, mine happens to be very, very, very, very light brown that turns red when my blood pressure rises. To choose skin color to determine a race in my opinion is stupid, since it makes no more sense than to determine race by eye color. Mine happen to be green. In which case I would belong to the green race and my brother would belong to the brown race.
I prefer develop relationships with people based on their personality, regardless of their phenotype.
grant
It is unpopular speech that
It is unpopular speech that needs to be protected.
Some founder said it. Can't remember who though.
Fighting words are not protected free speech.
Making a racial slur to someone's face is no more protected than insulting his mother by calling him a SOB.
The same words written in a book or stated here probably are. It depends on the context.
Fighting words are similar to a speaker inciting to riot.
Free speech is free speech
That means you don't get to decide what I can or can not say, PERIOD. And if you don't like that, that's too damned bad. I may not like what you have to say, but I'm not about to assault you for anything you might say.
You're right, I don't get to say, and it doesn't matter
what I like. You have a disagreement with the law, and that does matter whether you like it or not.
Your opinion on the law is of no consequence. It changes nothing, PERIOD.
I don't have disagreements with inanimate objects.
You can disagree with inanimate objects all you want. Personally, I stopped playing make believe some time ago. How can one disagree with 'the law'? All 'the law' is is words written on paper. I have a disagreement with actual people, people like you for example, who feel that they somehow have some measure of moral justification in forcing me to comply with their demands.
Tell me something, are you a fan of every law? After all, if it's 'the law' it simply must be obeyed, right?
Absolutely
Racial slurs, propaganda, angry hate-fuelling religious rhetoric - all of it comes under the banner of free speech. You can't punish people for saying something. Anything. Doesn't matter what it is or how much you disagree with it.
If someone is giving lectures on how to make bombs and encouraging people to blow up public buildings then they should have the right to do that. If you act on those things then you're breaking the law, but if you're talking about then there is no way on earth that should be an offence. Preventative punishment is an incredibly slippery slope and you cannot set one foot on it, because it just becomes more and more pervasive until the government and its various legal arms can pry into absolutely everything you do and tell you how to live your life.
If someone makes racial slurs, don't associate with them. But you can't put them in jail or fine them for it.
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"Live Free or Die" -- Amen to that
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"Live Free or Die" -- Amen to that
Well Said ThomasGray!
Superb summary and analysis!
When I was 8 years old...
...I learned a little saying, 'Stix and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me' ...well it's been almost 30 years since ...and to this day not 1 word has ever hurt me.
Lenny Bruce addressed this in one of his shows.
He said the "N" word about thirty times in a row and then commented that if you said it enough it took away its power.
It is the repression of words and thoughts that give them their real power, so those who wish to take away the power of racial slurs need to wake up and realize that they, with their political correct repressions are fueling racism.
"The deepest sin against the human mind is to believe things without evidence." Thomas H. Huxley
I believe you have the right
I believe you have the right to call someone a racial slur, but they also have the right to beat the living shit out of you after you do that.
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A recent history of the US economy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzze9xCPuok
Well, and then they have the right to press charges for assault.
Are you really that dense? Do you not understand that you need to fight for the right to use whatever word works? What good is freedom of speech if you are not willing to use it for truth? And sometimes, the truth is that the speaker is a racist, and they will choose words that expose that truth. ANd then truth liberates. Forcing that person to NOT be truthful builds resentment, and allows them to pass through "polite" society without having their racism noticed.
You know, like the Zionist shills in the media do. THEY are not racist, they hate all goyim equally, right?
Truth exists, and it deserves to be cherished.
So calling someone names is grounds for a physical assault?
The only thing more juvenile than calling someone names is fighting over being called names.
Not anymore. Now if you're "disrespected", you are compelled
by social law to fight and/or kill those who "disrespect" you. I saw a sprite commercial about it.
I agree with you, I'm just kidding---but I'm serious too, sadly.
Explore Orthodox Christianity
The world has become one messed up place
Social law, huh? Sounds good to me. I hereby declare that the next person to say 'poop' to me I shal smack in the face, backhanded, with a herring! And that's the 'law' because I say so! So...I must do it!
I think ML was being scarcastic!
!
LOL! I have relatives who would gladly accept that!
http://www.mngop54b.org/
http://www.mnlg.org
http://www.therootsofchange.com
http://www.cc2009.us
Meaning what?
(btw - It's educational and entertaining to start the little threads that get people a little worked up, no offense intended).
I would say no
Free speech excludes hate speech.
Brad
i feel sorry for you.
i feel sorry for you.
stop watching tv! your brain
stop watching tv! your brain has gone to mush.
“One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” Plato
“One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” Plato
I think what you said was hateful
Retract your statement immediately! I find it to be hateful!
/end sarcasm
Freedom of speech is freedom of all speech, not freedom of speech you approve of.
Of course...
Of course racial slurs are protected. In this country you have the right to be as racist as you'd like as long as you aren't actually doing anything to that person. This is why "hate crimes" are a joke. They are using speech to justify hate crimes which is ridiculous as hate crimes are about the motivation for the crime... not whatever words you use while committing the crime. But hey... the income tax is illegal, most wars we are in are illegal, hell... almost every law the feds make is illegal. It's to the point where we have to ask the feds if we still have free speech in this area instead of deferring to the constitution.
Freedom of speech does not
Freedom of speech does not mean that you are free from the responsibility for what you say.
Bingo! You got that right! Free speech allows others
the freedom to balance offensive speech with equilibrium just naturally without force.
http://www.mngop54b.org/
http://www.mnlg.org
http://www.therootsofchange.com
http://www.cc2009.us
Watch out for the ADL (Anti-Defamation League)
You say anything negative about Israel and it's a hate crime and you're anti-semitic, no matter how many Jewish friends you may have! I think they've cried wolf so many times that the younger generation is de-sensitized to it which is a good thing. We're all wondering why we send millions and millions to this TINY little country every year. AIPAC has a powerful lock on our Congress and nobody wants to talk about it. Sad to be so PC...it's got to stop.
R3VOLution
LOL we used to do the same
LOL we used to do the same thing in college.
Yes, you do have the right, unless those words are "fighting words" to incite violence with an individual. that is a crime in many states.
Ventura 2012
You can say what you like
but the jackasses in this thread don't understand making a joke to their friends and making a slur on the internet is entirely different. Nobody knows you here, they can't see your face and can't hear your voice. A bunch of idiotic comments below prove that some people will just never understand decorum. Constituition, yes, as long as it is not actionable.
I think I have to disagree with this post furlough ...
Online ....
A slur, a bigoted comment, a racist tone, is free speech ...
period.
As much as we don't like it here at dp ... it is protected.
In jest or of a serious nature ...
Idiots can write whatever they want here.
It is some of our roles to marginalize those comments.
That is about all I have to say about the subject.
God Bless.
WAHOR!!
http://www.dailypaul.com/node/48994
WAHOR!!
http://www.dailypaul.com/node/48994
I agree
they are free to say whatever they like, no matter how dumb it may be.
I just pointed out how some will never understand the difference between free speech and class.