Hate Speech is NOT an Entitlement of Free Speech

Hate Speech is NOT an Entitlement of Free Speech
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World Hands by Stokpic @Pixabay
Mr. US Hater from the UK (Named changed to protect identity) "a big concern. And for me yet another great reason to avoid that whole country"
Heidi Medina"Yes, because all Americans are assholes."
Mr. US Hater from the UK "Heidi Medina probably not, but then there's freedom of speech, of course......"
Heidi Medina"There is freedom of speech and I completely respect it when it's not used as an excuse for discrimination, ignorance, and ugliness. I've traveled the world and there are assholes everywhere. It doesn't stop me from going to places or to peg an entire country of people that way. I just get tired of seeing the blanket statements by people against Americans. Assholes live everywhere, not just in the US."

This recent conversation began with a Facebook post noting the warning by the ACLU for people with skin colors other than white living and traveling to Texas.

I get so fed up seeing or hearing comments like these or worse made by anyone about any group of people, not just Americans, around the world. Of course, this conversation is minor compared to some I’ve seen, but it still serves as a good example of hate speech.

What is Hate Speech?

Dictionary.com defines hate speech as “speech that attacks, threatens, or insults a person or group on the basis of national origin, ethnicity, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.”

So just STOP it already!

Spreading your hate, lies, prejudices, discrimination and hate speech just makes you an asshole. And if you don't enjoy being treated like an asshole, then stop treating others that way.

I'll be the first to admit that the US isn’t perfect and has plenty of assholes who screw things up all the time. But it also has plenty of other types of people in its 300 million plus population who aren't assholes and are working hard just as hard as you are to make the world a better place.

But each and every other country on this planet has issues as well, including plenty of assholes, and problems with not treating "other" groups of people equally or fairly.

Hate Speech is NOT a Right

So it pisses me off when I see these statements of pure hate speech and then the person uses the justification of "free speech" as his right to spout such bullshit. Free speech carries with it the responsibility of not causing undue harm to others with your words. It does not entitle you the right to hate speech.

And I'm sure Mr. US Hater from the UK believes he's not a hater but I bet he hasn't even stopped to think about how his crappy statements show how he dislikes another group of people based on what bias? What he's heard and read in the media? What maybe happened to him by someone from the US?

I could decide to dislike the 65 million plus people in his country just because of his hateful statements. After all, Brexit was about nothing but fear of "others" and ignorance.

But I'm not going to because I understand assholes live everywhere and that an entire country shouldn't be judged on the actions and comments of a few. Plus, I like the UK. I have some wonderful friends there, whom I love dearly. Instead, I'm just going to dislike the asshole.

Stand Up to Hate Speech

I'm standing up and talking about this because it's not right. Hate speech isn’t right and no one person or a single group of people should ever be judged by the actions of a few. If I dislike you, it's because you've given me a good reason to dislike you.

Take responsibility for your own actions and become part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Stop the hate speech.Because every time you speak ugly words into the world, like the ones above, you've become the asshole. And when you treat a whole group of people differently, you are no different than the very people you dislike.

Stand up, stop being part of the ignorance and let's change the world into a better place for everyone.

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