Given the news of late about suicides among gay teens, about gay bashing taken to levels I can hardly imagine, about taunting and bullying young people for something that is outside their control, I have been giving some thought to a precept I hold dear: free speech. Let me start by saying that I freely admit to being a political liberal. I always have been and doubtless always shall be.
I support the rights of those who disgree with me to air their opinions in public. What I find troubling is the hate speech that inflicts irreparable harm to those in its crosshairs. Think about the hate speech of the 1950s and '60s, aimed at people of color and at Vietnam War protestors. While it is not fashionable today to spew vitriol at people of color (although we all know it still happens every single day), it is, however, fashionable in some quarters to fire away at gay men.
As all thinking people do, I abhor the actions of the Fred Phelps' followers who protest at the funerals of servicemen and women. I abhorred them in the 1980s when they protested the funerals of gay men in the Kansas City area. But I'm curious why the Supreme Court is hearing the case against them now, after three decades of horrific behavior aimed at gay men.
Still, protesting in public is as American as the proverbial apple pie. I support the rights of people to protest, to voice their opinions in public. What I do not support is wrapping your bigotry in the blanket of protecting children, like the candidate for New York's governor's office did this weekend. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/11/AR2010101103038.html)
If you are a bigot, then out with it. Spew your hatred, inflict your pain. But don't you dare claim you're just protecting the children.
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The professional political caste will always use dehumanization of Other as a tool in their quest for biopower because it is so effective. The exploitation of outraged reaction to this idiot's ranting is application of the same tool he uses. A prime example of what is detestable about politics and politicians.
ReplyDeleteWe must not let the state or parasitic political caste define "normal" through legislation and regulation. That only gives them exactly what they want: increased power to tyrannize, plunder, and manipulate us.
If we want to end "hate speech" forever we must recognize its true nature and source: the quest for social power. Only by recognizing evil can we defeat it.