Freedom Of Speech Vs Hate Speech Essay

Although freedom of opinion and expression is a promised human right, it seems that in countries all around the world, certain speech is prohibited and more limitations are being put on what is and isn’t deemed acceptable to the public eye. More citizens are beginning to support laws that impede the practice of our right and a push for censorship is increasing. Many people don’t understand the harm that can be caused by imposing our first amendment. Free speech is simply “The right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint” (Dictionary). It’s a straightforward concept that states you’re entitled to share your opinion with others. This is a civil right we’re all born with regardless of who we are or what backgrounds we come from. Without freedom of speech, there could be no freedom of ideas. On the other hand, hate speech has no precise definition, but can be narrowed down to “speech expressing hatred of a particular group of people” (Merriam Webster). The most harmful forms of hate speech, such as harassments, threats, and incitement of violence are already against the law. Non-violent hate speech technically falls under the realm of free speech. Therefore, as offensive as it may be, until it crosses the line of actually inciting illegal actions, hate speech should be protected. …show more content…
Part of what makes hate speech a delicate issue is the fact that it’s a subjective term. One person’s “hatred” can be a good reason to critique a public issue. For instance, part of the German Criminal Code states “[Assaulting] the human dignity of others by insulting, maliciously maligning a group [...]” is illegal (wiki.org). Even when part of a legal code, it’s clear that what qualifies as hate speech is somewhat open to interpretation. This shows the difficulty of banning something when it’s hard to determine what it exactly