Against Hate SpeechHate crimes are done too frequently in the United States. Although we have laws that supposedly regulate them, many people still feel the need to commit acts of violence on people that are different than them. Many of these crimes originate with some sort of hate speech.
People get ideas from other people, passed down from previous generations. Some people don’t find anything wrong with verbally abusing another human. Some world leaders have participated in hate speech, hate crimes, or genocide. Hitler is known for his merciless killing of minorities, mostly Jews, in Eastern Europe.
The founder of the United States, Christopher Columbus, killed many Indians because he felt he was superior to them. Hate speech obviously leads to hate crimes and keeps humans separated. Also when following the laws correctly, hate speech is not allowed. These are all reasons why I am against hate speech. Hate speech directs people to commit hateful crimes.
The difference between hate crimes and regular crimes is that hate crimes are committed to a person because of his/her differences. Some examples of differences would be their gender, race, hair color, body shape, intelligence, sexual orientation, etc. Hate speech doesn’t have to be direct talking. Hate speech can now be down on the Internet or through magazine; and more people are using the Internet to publicize their vile beliefs. In the last five years, the number of hate crimes that have been reported to the FBI has increased by 3,743 (FBI statistics). That means that 11,690 hate crimes were reported in 2000 in only 48 states and not all police forces released their data.
Imagine how many other hate crimes were committed that weren’t even reported to the police. Ethnic and racial violence or tension has decreased in Europe due to newly implemented hate speech laws (ABC News). Many people with the same hateful beliefs form groups to “take on” the specific people they hate. A typical gang is based on hating someone who isn’t like them. Tension rises when intolerant people talk.
It’s not bad when it’s only one person, but imagine your whole community being vocally against you. To lessen the tension that arose in the past, people are still being segregated. There is rarely any evident anxiety in the United States, until you travel to the South. In the South, segregations in schools increased in the last decade by 10.
8% (ABC News). Segregation is still a problem across the country though. 70. 2% of black students now attend predominantly minority schools, or schools with very few white students. It is not just black people that are segregated either. Latino segregations is growing with 36.
6% students attend a school that is primarily made up of their own race. When we are separated in schools it is hard to not also be separated outside of school. The international law does state that everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference’ and everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression’. This law is subject to necessary restrictions though. It also states that we must respect the rights or reputations of others’ and we need to follow the protection of public order, or public health, or morals’.
More importantly the same law says that any advocacy of national, racial, or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence must be prohibited. ‘(ABC News. ) That last law seems very lucid to me. It clearly states that it is illegal to say things that may cause bigotry or violence, which is exactly what hate speech does. People do have a right to their own opinions but they cannot force it on anyone else and they certainly cannot commit crimes based on their thoughts. Hate speech is immoral and it is not fair to do just because one person thinks they are better than someone else.
The law states it, it’s clear that it leads to violent acts, and it keeps us separated from each other. Right now it may seem easier to let the segregation go on, but not changing people’s views will only harm us later on when the problem is too big to be fixed. We must all get over
