Freedom of Speech : Is Hate Speech A Crime?
In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “The greatest sin of our time is not the few who has destroyed, but the vast majority who sat idly by.” These words echoed while evaluating the views, knowledge, and evidence given for the consensus of Freedom of Speech and the argument, should Hate Speech be a crime? Although, I strongly am against hate speech of any kind, I am not swayed on the legitimate claim that hate speech should be considered criminal. In saying that, I agree with Kenan Malik when he states that the problem runs deeper than putting more restrictions on what constitutes as hate speech. Morally, human beings have a responsibility in speech and/or deed to treat each other with some
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The word hate itself, morally, evokes disconcerting emotions, but hate itself is not criminal. Comparatively speaking, neither is hate speech. Hate speech is defined as speech that is intended to offend, insult, intimidate, or threaten an individual or group based on a trait or attribute, such as sexual orientation, religion, color, gender, or disability. This type of speech, again, may evoke disconcerting emotions but it is not a criminal offense rather a moral one. Morally, we have a responsibility, to regulate our expression of speech by disallowing defamation of character, perjury, blackmail, true threats, solicitations to commit crimes, incitement of violence, or obscenity, which are the types of speech not protected by the first amendment (Newseum …show more content…
Foundationally, the need for morality is essential in order for society to work and establish a level of decency towards another human being. In 1863, many Americans harnessed their moral authority and, united in a march to Washington DC led by Dr. Martin Luther Kings Jr and other leaders in the fight to raise public consciousness of racism, and to end racial discrimination in the United States. Dr. King, civil rights activist, declared in the great I Have a Dream speech: "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children." Dr. King, was not only a civil rights activist, but a great strategist, his words and non-violent approach compelled people, regardless of race, to stand up and fight against injustice and discrimination of any kind. What if Martin Luther King Jr., along with other activist, idly sat back in hope that the same judicial system, which endorsed the laws they were trying to dismantle, finally realized the error of their
Have you ever had a crime committed against you? In today’s society we are faced with crime all around us. There are crimes committed out of rage, revenge, jealousy, love, greed, etc; but there is another type of crime, or one could say act of violence, called hate crimes. Have you ever thought maybe that crime was committed against just because of your racial background, or religious beliefs? Throughout this country’s history, hate crimes have taken place, either by known groups who hate and, most commonly, individuals that are inspired by hate. Not until recently have the people of this country ever wanted to pass a law that would punish the guilty to an even higher extent because the crime was committed out of hate. There are two sides to every issue. Whether or not the issue is valid or if it is an unrealistic concept created by the media or by the federal government, then, in my opinion, passing a law of this type is totally unrealistic. It is almost impossible to prove that a crime is committed out of a bias hate. I feel that a law that punishes hate crimes should not be passed.
Thomas Aquinas to Martin Buber, and declares that segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound, it is sinful (Aeschliman)." Dr. King used the name of God throughout his speeches, writings, and interviews, because people had higher believe in God at that time then now. His always stressed in moral values, such as if the Whites are children of God, why Blacks are not. He emphasized on religious text that the believe of Christianity is equality, and respect between human beings without any barriers of skin color. King's theory of rights is grounded on human personality. "In Kings Judgement, I would argue, the rights guaranteed in the American Constitution including its Preamble, the Bill of Rights, and the Amendments are contributory to but insufficient for the full development of human personality (King). They constitute a beginning, but not an end, of the claims any personal or group of persons may properly and legitimately make on a social system (Sturm:97)." He believed that social practices would not change, until you don’t fight against the injustice. His moral judgements were very powerful and persuasive in terms of nonviolent resistances and gathering people in one
Achieving Racial Equality On April 12th, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. was leading a peaceful protest in the city of Birmingham, Alabama that resulted in him being arrested and jailed. Later that day, eight clergymen responded with the statement “A Call For Unity” in The Birmingham News requesting he ends all of his protests. A few days later, King created a response to the statement in the form of an open letter. In this letter, Martin Luther King Jr. develops a well-proposed argument in response to the eight clergymen who published the statement. Throughout the letter, King uses rhetorical appeal in order to give the viewer a sense of King’s credibility, his emotions, and also his logic on why he does what he does.
In the following essay, Charles R. Lawrence encompasses a number of reasons that racist speech should not be protected by the First Amendment. In this document, he exhibits his views on the subject and what he feels the society should confront these problems. In this well- written article, he provides strong evidence to prove his point and to allow the reader to see all aspects of the issue.
These lessons were applied for the duration of the Civil Rights Movement including in Martin Luther King’s words in his I Have a Dream speech, the murder of Emmett Till, and use of Jim Crow laws on public facilities. Atticus believes that people should not be judged until they understand things from the other person’s point of view, such teachings also support Martin Luther King’s messages of peace. On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. led the March on Washington where he delivered the I Have a Dream speech in which he uttered the words, “they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” (qtd.in. Martin Luther King I Have a Dream) His words reflect those of Atticus Finch when he says: “...in our courts all men are created equal” (274). Atticus’ message is relevant because it models what Martin Luther King Jr. wanted for this nation. King wanted to live in a world where people would not have to fear they would be persecuted based on their race. Atticus explains that that is exactly how the world should work. The two of them taught Americans that judgement should be reserved until character is accounted for. Of course, one of the consequences of prejudice in the Civil Rights Era was the death Emmett Till, which went against everything Atticus had ever taught his children. Emmett Till was a fourteen-year-old African American boy who
The term hate crime first appeared in the late 1980’s as a way of understanding a racial incident in the Howard Beach section of New York City, in which a black man was killed while attempting to evade a violent mob of white teenagers, shouting racial epithets. Although widely used by the federal government of the United States, the media, and researchers in the field, the term is somewhat misleading because it suggests incorrectly that hatred is invariably a distinguishing characteristic of this type of crime. While it is true that many hate crimes involve intense animosity toward the victim, many others do not. Conversely, many crimes involving hatred between the offender and the victim are not ‘hate crimes’ in the sense intended here. For example an assault that arises out of a dispute between two white, male co-workers who compete for a promotion might involve intense hatred, even though it is not based on any racial or religious differences... ...
Living in the United States we enjoy many wonderful freedoms and liberties. Even though most of these freedoms seem innate to our lives, most have been earned though sacrifice and hard work. Out of all of our rights, freedom of speech is perhaps our most cherished, and one of the most controversial. Hate speech is one of the prices we all endure to ensure our speech stays free. But with hate speeches becoming increasingly common, many wonder if it is too great of a price to pay, or one that we should have to pay at all.
When the topic of hate and bias crime legislation is brought up two justifications commonly come to mind. In her article entitled “Why Liberals Should Hate ‘Hate Crime Legislation” author Heidi M. Hurd discusses the courts and states views that those who commit hate and bias crimes ought to be more severely punished. She takes into consideration both sides of the argument to determine the validity of each but ultimately ends the article in hopes to have persuaded the reader into understanding and agreeing with her view that laws concerning the punishment of hate and bias laws should not be codified. Hate crime is described as a violent, prejudice crime that occurs when a victim is targeted because of their membership in a specific group. The types of crime can vary from physical assault, vandalism, harassment or hate speech. Throughout the article Hurd tried to defend her view and explain why there should be no difference of punishment for similar crimes no matter the reason behind it. Her reason behind her article came from the law that President Obama signed in 2009 declaring that crimes committed with hatred or prejudice should have more sever punishments. While the court has their own views to justify their reasoning behind such decisions, in the article Hurd brings up points and facts to prove the wrongfulness of creating such a law. However, though Hurd has made her views clear in the following essay I will discuss reasons why the penalties are justifiable, why they should receive the same degree of punishment, less punishment and my personal view on the topic.
On April 16, 1963, from a jail in Birmingham, Alabama, Martin Luther King Jr. composed an extensive letter to eight clergymen who condemned the timing of the civil rights movement. Although the letter was addressed to these eight clergymen, the Letter from Birmingham Jail speaks to a national audience, especially King’s “Christian and Jewish brothers”(King, 29). His peaceful but firm letter serves as a remarkably persuasive voice to an immensely chaotic mess, and is seen as a major turning point in the civil rights movement. King believes that without direct action, the full rights for African Americans could never be achieved. He defends the impatience of people in the civil rights movement, upholding that without forceful demonstrations, equality will never be reached. King upholds that human rights must take precedence over unjust laws. His eloquent language and use of classical argumentation make his case resilient and convincing. King’s expert use of pathos invokes anger, sympathy and empathy; his impeccable use of logos made his argument rational to all; and his use of ethos, especially his use of biblical references, makes his opinions more authoritative.
The legacy of Dr. King propelled America into a new realm of individual liberty by introducing the peaceful protest. Dr. King’s principle indicated that violence was not an option; peace was the way to lawfully achieve their rights. He even had young followers vow that they would act in an ethical way to justify their cause for equality. This positively impacted Dr. King's contribution to history because it continued to remind citizens of America to peacefully protest their government if it is unjust. Additionally, King often told his followers that their actions would be judged, not only now, but even by future generations. This helped ease racial tensions and continued to remind his followers to act peacefully. In doing so, protesters were able to think and justify their actions before they proceeded which paved the way for future generations of America. Furthermore, Dr. King's legacy is remembered as remarkable because he made America embrace this new form of protest. He suggested reality and love rather than anger. Overall, Dr. King's principle of nonviolent protest made his legacy quite noticeable and inspiring
Any crime motivated by a bias against a person or group based on their ethnicity, gender, sexual preference, religion or another characteristic is a hate crime. These crimes can either be committed against the people themselves or their property. When someone commits a hate crime they are targeting a group of people not just one individual. That’s why hate crimes have extra punishment. The punishment for hate crimes are very insignificant considering the deviant who committed a hate crime targeted an entire group of people. Hate crimes are very serious offensive but determining where to draw the line can be difficult. Hate crimes are very serious and can have lasting effects on victims.
Hate crimes should not be punished differently than other crimes. The actual crime should be punished, not the reasoning behind it. The idea of punishing crimes differently based on victims might make some people or groups feel that others are more protected or valued than they are. The concept of punishing crimes differently because of motive is senseless, unnecessary, and an injustice.
In Martin Luther King Jr.’s essay, A Letter from Birmingham Jail he compares the issues of Moral acts verses Immoral acts. This essay was written in response to a letter some clergymen had written after a direct action march Dr. King had participated in. In their letter the clergymen had praised the local police officers and media for the nonviolent and calm manner in which the situation was handled. It was this praise that prompted Dr King to write:
A hate crime is a crime motivated by several reasons that include religion, sexual orientation, race, nationality, gender etc. It typically involves physical violence, intimidation, threats and other means against the individual that is being targeted. It is a crime against the person and it can have a devastating impact on the victim. Several argue that hate crimes should be punished more severely. However, it is not a crime to hate someone or something if it does not lead to some sort of criminal offense.
One of the world’s best known advocates of non-violent social change strategies, Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), synthesized ideals drawn from many different cultural traditions. Recent studies of him emphasize the extent to which his ideals were rooted in African-American religious traditions which were then shaped by his education. The image of a social activist and leader was the result of extensive formal education, strong personal values and licit ethics. This excellence in leadership can be traced to his character which is shaped by his moral values and personality. We look at MLK and these traits to reveal the rationalization of his rise to transracial leadership in our society. Through studying the life and example of Martin Luther King, Jr., we learn that his moral values of integrity, love, truth, fairness, caring, non-violence, achievement and peace were what motivated him. King is not great because he is well known, he is great because he served as the cause of peace and justice for all humans. King is remembered for his humanity, leadership and his love of his fellow man regardless of skin color. This presence of strong moral values developed King’s character which enabled him to become one of the most influential leaders of our time. Integrity is a central value in a leader’s character and it is through integrity that King had vision of the truth. The truth that one day this nation would live up to the creed, "all men are created equal". No man contributed more to the great progress of blacks during the 1950’s and 1960’s than Martin Luther King, Jr. He was brought up believing "one man can make a difference", and this is just what he did. Integrity has a large effect on what we think, say and do, it is through King’s thoughts and actions that enabled so many people to have trust and faith in him. Through King’s integrity he believed that America, the most powerful and richest nation in the world will lead the way to a revolution of values. This revolution will change the way society views itself, shifting from a "thing-orientated" society to a "person-orientated" society. When this occurs, King believed that racism will be capable of being conquered and this nation will be "Free at last." King’s unconditional love for all humans was another value that strongly influenced his character and allowed him to have such excellent leadership ability.