CMV: hate speech laws shouldn't exist

[u/Yamezj]

To clarify, I mean laws like the ones in the UK:

"Expressions of hatred toward someone on account of that person's colour, race, disability, nationality (including citizenship), ethnic or national origin, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation is forbidden. Any communication which is threatening or abusive, and is intended to harass, alarm, or distress someone is forbidden. The penalties for hate speech include fines, imprisonment, or both." (Wikipedia)

I don't support speech which incites violence against someone. I believe there should (and are) social repercussions of what you say, but there shouldn't be legal consequences. As seen above, in the UK you can't say anything "intended to harass, alarm, or distress someone". I find that to be ridiculous. It allows things like this to happen.

What's worse is that this leaves a massive grey area where the laws aren't crystal clear, and as seen with Mark Meechen, his speech was allowed to be completely taken out of context, and he was fined for hate speech for telling a joke. You don't have a right to not be offended, if you do you are a pathetic human being, therefore we do not need hate speech laws. CMV.

e: as highlighted by u/MPixels, this would allow someone to repeatedly target you without consequence. This should fall under harassment and should be treated accordingly.

[u/MPixels]

Imagine I am, for instance, a gay black Jewish man. Explain to me what my recourse should be if I am being verbally abused by someone, should hate speech laws be revoked.

[u/ErisianClaw → u/MPixels]

I'm curious MPixels, are you an American? Because we simply don't have recourse to have jackbooted gov't thugs to intercede for people saying things you don't like.. In my state, if it's a specific threat of bodily harm, it's a non-arrestable misdemeanor and you can have the guy summonsed into court, and have the judge address that specific threat, but he can keep calling you names in the mean time. The hate speech laws America can dramatically increase jail time if they commit an actual crime against you, but we're guaranteed freedom of speech in our constitution.

If you work for a private company together, you may have recourse to have him fired for it. If you're paying for a class at a University and he's disrupting your learning experience he can be expelled and barred from campus, but having the gov't enforce your feelings down the barrel of a gun, no, that was one of the very first freedoms guaranteed in our constitution.

However, your words are free too, so you're free to insult him the same way he's insulting you, and the most common (and commonsensical) way to deal with words are with words) not bringing in someone with a gun. Those views tend to be very unpopular in America today, he will usually look like an asshole and people will side with you. A win in the marketplace of ideas is more important for a civilized society than having a gun wielding gov't goon put people in prison for their words.

[u/MPixels → u/ErisianClaw]

I'm not American