Quote:
Originally Posted by CutiePie2000
Quick question (and on another note): In your country, if some jackass yelled out "FIRE!" in a crowded theatre and there was no fire, could they hide behind the 'Freedom of Speech' plea? Just wondering.
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No. That's where we draw the line; that's the standard example of the limit of free speech.
The distinction perhaps can be summed up this way: The government cannot regulate the content of speech. In the case of "FIRE!" in a crowded theater, or speech that actually puts someone in reasonable fear of personal safety, then it's not the content that's being regulated, but the effect of the speech.
All this sign says is "Hispanics Keep Out." That may be stupid, but it's clearly protected speech.
I'll admit it -- I think laws prohibiting someone from saying hateful things are inane and counterproductive. They create the illusion that everyone is getting along rather than just laying things on the table. I prefer to leave in a society where the idiots are free to say their hateful things and the rest of us are free to say "You're an idiot." I also think that what constitutues "hate speech" is so subjective as to be useless in a criminal context.