Hate Speech is Not Free Speech... Or is it? Reflection

Or is it?

"Hate Speech is not Free Speech... Or is it?"

9/18/17UWSP CCC 101

Throughout history, the use of hate speech has grown tremendously due to the fact that individuals have abused the rights that were granted to them.  From World War I to the uprising of the KKK, from fascism to the civil rights movement, and to present day politics, hate speech has been a reoccurring theme and tool that has been used, and especially misused.  But what is hate speech? How is it defined? There is no set definition that is coined with the term, however, one may define it as insults that are directed at another person or group.  Another way to characterize hate speech is words that are intended to wound, harm and stigmatize individuals because they belong or associate themselves to a certain group.  Hate speech has no redeeming value and it contributes nothing to political or social debate, so why do people use it? To my understanding, individuals use hate speech because under the first amendment, they have the right to freely express their thoughts and views.  Also, the government cannot regulate or limit what you say or the content of your speech.  However, the government can regulate where you speak and the first amendment provides regulations on speech that provokes others to violence.  Hate speech is very offensive and it can directly harm the safety of individuals or groups. So why hasn't hate speech been restricted? That is the question that I am constantly asking myself. Hate speech is such a terrible exploitation of verbal expression which, if long term, could and has lead to the rise of hate groups. The quote, "Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it," is a great representation of how hate speech has evolved over the years and how it has been used. All in all, hate speech has always been practiced throughout the course of history, however, no one has learned from its consequences and resorts to using hate speech when they feel offended by a certain group or situation. Now is the time to put our feet down and try to put an end to the exertion of hate speech.