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Isabel Salazar

Professor Kim Lenox

English 120

16 Novemeber 2023

Free v.s. Hate Speech

There have always been different opinions between Free v.s. Hate speech that has been

contradicted by the whole world and that has led to a lot of tensions between communities across

the globe. Is there really a difference between the two of them? I thought to myself that there

should be free speech but with limits and this needs to be reached to the colleges across the

globe. Free speech should be allowed but when it is going to cause violence, distraction and

contoversy among people then it should be defeated and set to a limit. Every individual has their

own opinions, facts, and news wanted to be shared out, but this can be leading to the destruction

of what giving a speech is all about especially when it is leading to worse rather than a good

outcome. Free vs. Hate speech can be identified as different but similar to one another when

really looking at it. Hate speech can be shown through free speech and needs to be stopped due

to it leading to violence, inequality, and can be dangerous to the world in the present and in the

future.

Banning hate speech will create a more safer environment for students at colleges across

the globe. In an article “Restrictions Against Hate Speech Violate The First Amendment '' it tells

about stories just from hate speech online carried onto the communities. The article states, '' We

cringe when reminded of the racist rampage of Benjamin Smith that left two people dead and

nine others wounded.” From reading this it makes me sad to think that people were dead from
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hate speech when it could have been stopped. Hate speech can be dehumanizing and cause many

things to happen in the school environment including harrassment or as said in the first

amendment “disruption” between students that can lead to a hostile learning environment. To go

more into context in an article called, “Hate Speech” it tells rules stating, “Words can and do

harm the targets of hate in painfully real ways. Hate speech silences the members of victim

groups and denies them their rightful standing in society.” These rules and lead ons from hate

speech and true and it doesn’t only need to be physical attacks but verbal attacks that are being

permitted in these colleges without people realizing. There have been years of harassment and

bullying online and in person but when is that finally going to be put to a rest?

Are other countries and states taking our side? Yes they are there has been many

detentions and acquisitions in Canada that have been stopped due to hate speech. They are able

to take matters into their own hands and there are punishments for those who use hate speech. In

her article, “The Crimilization of Hate Speech '' written by Joyce Arthur, Founder and Executive

Director of Reproductive Rights Coalition of Canada, a national political women’s health

organization, argues how western countries enforcement is weak and spotty. Societies across the

globe take this into accountability and it is said in the article, “societies should take action

against hate speech without requiring that a few specific words by themselves must directly and

immediately incite violence, or be likely to” (pg.1). By this being said people need to understand

that the things they could be spilling out could be wrong and that it can be something like a hate

speech that doesn’t seem to occur to them it is. Hate speeches can come in many different forms

and can be pawned as something unlawful and that can lead to violence. Also stated in the

article, “Violent acts of hate are generally preceded by hate speech that is expressed publicly and

repeatedly for years, including by public figures, journalists, leading activists, and even the state”
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(pg.1). Hate speech is the main leading persusasion that causes the fall out of people and for

violent acts to occur. In colleges this can be a reason that students don’t feel welcome and would

want to leave or not enjoy their college experience.

Hate speech is directly and mostly about gays, woman, ethnic groups, and religious

minorities. This might seem a one sided opinion but is true that most of these violent acts are

coming from the people that side with hate speech being normalized. An article by Joyce Arthur

promotes how hate speech is towards these groups of people in our communities and the true

meaning behind hate speech and how it needs to be stopped as said in her article, "The Harms of

Hate Speech.” In the article it states, “it's no coincidence that straight white men are generally the

most ardent defenders of near-absolute free speech, because it's very easy to defend hate speech when

it doesn't hurt you personally.” People that believe hate speech needs to be normalized aren’t

the ones getting hated on in the first place, it is the other people that the society and this

generation doesn’t see. It is not only the straight white men that are the defenders but

the people who are against these different groups of all kinds. Also in the article it

states, “In 1990, the Canadian Supreme Court stated that hate speech can cause "loss of

self-esteem, feelings of anger and outrage and strong pressure to renounce cultural differences

that mark them as distinct” (pg.3). After reading this it has made me realize that many states

have been able to open their eyes and see that hate speech needs to be panulized. It has gone after

people that want no harm, and has caused wars, genocide and other things that should not be

happening.

Hate Speech needs to be penulized and needs to be put into a stop. Hate speech is

contradicting the way one feels about another and has caused enough commotion across the

globe. When is enough going to be enough?

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