Define Hate Speech

What is hate speech? Hate speech is speech that attack a person or group because of the ethic background, race, gender, sexuality, religion or disability.

Even though hate speech can be damaging to the targeted victims, it still cannot be set to a standard or principle because it is hard to define what is and is not hate speech. Hate speech is so wide-ranging and vast, no limit can be set to regulate it. What some groups may consider to be hateful and demeaning, others groups deem to be their founding principles and beliefs. A study taken place at University of Colorado quotes, "Often, when hate speech prohibitions are in place, people engaged in serious intergroup conflicts simply refuse to talk at all, preventing constructive problem solving and allowing tensions to build." American Civil Liberties Union suggests the best way to counterattack hate speech is to not censor it, but to respond with more moral speech. ACLU goes by the principles that the rights of free speech are indivisible:

In the name of free speech, hate speech should not be tolerated. Hate speech has devastating effects on the people and communities it is targeted at. Left unchecked hate speech can lead to harmful and violent effects. Over the past few years, the effects of hate speech used on women, homosexuals, ethnic groups and religious minorities have become more and more apparent. Hate speech can be very divisive in many of the situations it is used, depending on who interprets the expression can vary how people react, due to hate speech, not being easy defend when it does not hurt that certain person or community. If left uncheck hate speech can develop into harmful narratives that remain. While hate speech is not against the law, some have begun

Hate speech is a term of art in legal and political theory that is used to refer to verbal conduct – and other symbolic, communicative action –which willfully attacks a person or group based on attributes such as race, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, or gender. Hate speech thus includes things like identity-prejudicial abuse and harassment, certain uses of slurs and epithets, some extremist political and religious speech. For example, statements to the effect that all Muslims are terrorists, or that gay people are second -class human beings, and certain displays of hate symbols like swastikas or burning crosses are part of it. Those such activities are classified as hate speech if, and insofar as, they convey the idea that belonging to a particular social group warrants someone’s being held in or treated with contempt. However, Freedom of speech is the most important and basic right that a human in every country deserves. Freedom of speech and hate speech are two opposite things. Therefore, the government needs to draw a line between hate speech and freedom of speech to protect a citizen. Hate speech should be banned and extreme speech regulated because it is one of the reasons for many negative consequences in human lives

Waldron also argues that the harms caused by hate speech are “constituted by speech, rather than merely caused by speech” (166). He believes that the element that damages the dignity and assurance of vulnerable minorities is the speech itself, not actions that they speech promotes or the way that it is

Hate speech is rhetoric which attacks an individual or group on the basis of characteristics such as race, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender, or disability. The impact has taken a social and psychological

     While a clear and concise definition remains forthcoming, it is easier to establish what hate speech is not. Hate speech is wrong but legal in the United States of America mostly because we have the freedom of speech. But the First Amendment exists precisely to protect the most offensive and controversial speech from government suppression. In this case, people are allowed to use hate speech and not get arrested or any legal actions against them. The best way to counter obnoxious speech such as this is with more speech. Persuasion, not violence, is the solution to this problem (Jouhari).

Throughout many years, people have protested and rioted against many things such as gay rights and immigration. To many people, this is considered what is called hate speech. Hate speech is speech that attacks people based on race, sexual orientation, gender, or any other personal attributes. For many years, people have had debates about if hate speech should or should not be protected by the First Amendment. This debate could cause the leaders of the United States to form new laws.

What is a hate speech for one may be an empowering speech for another. Many believe these speeches contribute to a wide variety of opinions and beliefs that allow for several different aspects of a situation to be analyzed. Others believe these words will start violent actions against those hated upon. However, old adages about sticks and stones exist for a reason: they are true. No matter the individual, people are capable of ignoring the hate if they so wish. Sometimes, many make claims so outrageous that not even the most zealous of advocates would argue them, bold statements such as saying all Middle Easterners should be tortured because they are all terrorists. It is not worth anyone’s time to argue against these, and creating a political issue surrounding that claim makes one appear foolish. However, several hate speeches are beneficial to the

During the turbulent tides of the 2016 election, the question of whether or not hate speech is protected under the First Amendment has been brought up multiple times. Hate speech is defined by the American Bar Association as “speech that offends, threatens, or insults groups, based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or other traits.” One side argues that hateful comments should not and are not protected due to the oppression they bring. After all, why would a nation that promotes freedom and equality for all allow the harmful words of others to persist? Conversely, others argue that the First Amendment covers all forms of speech, hateful or not, and to not allow hate speech is both a violation of

Hate speech is a form of discrimination which is proscribed by section 9 of the Constitution on the basis of inter alia race and religion. Thus constitutional provisions do exist which would allow hate speech

Humans tend to have a very blurry line when it comes to biases towards certain subjects. Everyone’s bias can be influenced by home life, music, social class etc. Therefore, this bias can be used to dub speech they do not like as hateful. The freedom to practice speech is guaranteed to every American citizen, even if that speech is offensive to other citizens. Regarding this evident truth, we find ourselves wrestling with other Americans who proclaim hateful speech towards individuals and entire groups of people. On one hand, we understand that all speech is protected, however we can not ignore the awful hate being spewed by individuals. Every human being is born with an innate moral compass to determine the difference between right and wrong. With that being said, fellow citizens can demonstrate bias in terms of what they determine to be hate speech and what they determine not to be. This bias causes people to consider speech that they do not like as hate speech when in all actuality the speech is not hateful at all. Ira H. Mehlman is the media director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform organization and she states that, “The problem we face in dealing with hate speech is that it

Like most democratic nations in the world, the United States has had its own fair share of issues with hate speech. There has been a lot of controversy over whether hate speech should be regulated. In analyzing the concept of free speech, one cannot ignore that it does not occur in a vacuum. There have been all types of debasements ranging from ethnic, religious, racial and gendered stereotyping. Freedom of speech inherently includes all other fundamental human rights. Hence, as acknowledged through natural rights, other rights and personhood should adamantly be included within this scope of this protection. Hate speech is a limit on free speech, as it not only puts the victim under deliberate psychological and physical harm, but also

Hate speech, what is it? The definition of hate speech, according to Mari J. Matsuda, author of "Assaultive Speech and Academic Freedom, is "…(a word of group of words) of which is to wound and degrade by asserting the inherent inferiority of a group" (151). In my own words hate speech is a humiliation and demeaning slur of words specifically used to disgrace a person for their race, religion, or sexual habits. There is now a controversy if hate speech should be regulated on college campuses or not. I have read a few articles with the author being either for or against regulating hate speech. My opinion is that yes, we should regulate hate speech on college campuses.

Hate speech is defined as rhetoric which attacks an individual or group on the basis of characteristics of race, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender, or disability. A society can