Definition of “Hate Speech” Widening?

Posted on March 15, 2007

Once upon a time, a negative comment of some kind had to be aimed at a minority group to be called “hate speech” but that is of course rather narrow. There are lots of people and things that get hated for all sorts of reasons. And the community may be adopting the wider meaning that has always been possible — as we see in a recent dispute among an apparently all-black group:

A black local councillor in Milwaukee, Mike McGee, is being subjected to a recall election and he is not taking it kindly. He said on radio that one of his political opponents, Leon Todd, should be “hung” for betraying the community. He also gave out his opponent’s phone no. on radio and urged listeners to call it.

Thuggish behavior, but is it not just a dispute between two individuals? Apparently not. Todd got a court order against the thug (no wonder he is being recalled!) and commented afterwards: “It’s really a shame that we have reached this level. But when it comes to hate speech — hate speech is not free speech, and we cross the line”

It seems that negative speech of all kinds is on the verge of being criminalized. And note also that the myth of hate speech not being free speech is invoked as if it were beyond question. That myth originates in nothing more than Leftist chants but it has gained an alarming amount of ground.

(For more postings from me, see TONGUE-TIED, EDUCATION WATCH, GREENIE WATCH, POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH, FOOD & HEALTH SKEPTIC, GUN WATCH, SOCIALIZED MEDICINE, AUSTRALIAN POLITICS, DISSECTING LEFTISM, IMMIGRATION WATCH and EYE ON BRITAIN. My Home Page. Email me (John Ray) here.)

Share on Facebook

Tweet This Post

» Filed Under ACLU

Trackback URL

Comments

3 Responses to “Definition of “Hate Speech” Widening?”

Kate on March 15th, 2007 4:03 pm

This guy has been an embarrassment for the entire Milwaukee area, yet they keep re-electing him. He’s just plain nuts. This is a guy who takes “playing the race card” to a whole new level.
Philosopher on March 15th, 2007 5:26 pm

John-Ray, if you’d like a REAL sample of what Alderman Mike McGee is like, just search his name on the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel website. I live outside of Milwaukee. The guy is a complete whackjob.
Patrick on March 15th, 2007 7:41 pm

I have a lot of coverage of McGee at BadgerBlogger, including a lot of audio.

You can listen to him say that Leon Todd should be hung, here.