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Rights are Rights
Even if we don’t like someone else’s views, and no matter how vulgar they are, every American has the right to put forth his own opinion. We do have the 1st Amendment. Because of this little piece of paper called the Constitution, I assert that the Westboro Baptist Church has every right to protest whatever they want, wherever they want. I personally do not condone what they are saying, but it is everyone’s responsibility to allow them to say what they want. The Supreme Court will shoot down this case and they will be freed from any wrongdoing. Even the circumstances in which they had to protest are outrageous. 1,000 feet away and inside a blocked-off area guarded by police? These people are not violent, they never have been. They simply stand, yell, and hold signs. The signs may say horrible things, but it’s their opinion, and they have a right to put it into the public sphere.
Reina Desrouleaux
April 11, 2010 at 2:35 pm
good point, but isn’t it a bit late to be writing on this topic?
dimitri halikias
April 11, 2010 at 4:27 pm
No, the case goes to court soon. But Doron, do you believe that libel laws are unconstitutional?
Doron Tauber
April 12, 2010 at 5:19 pm
yes.
dimitri halikias
April 12, 2010 at 7:27 pm
I agree with you, but what about hate speech that is designed to inspire violence? Do you believe that blackmail and death threats constitute free expression?
Doron Tauber
April 13, 2010 at 9:00 pm
blackmail, yes. death threats, no. if they imply or threaten actual bodily harm, then they go too far. that does not mean that saying “___ SHOULD die” is also harmful. if you send a death threat, that says that you yourself are ready, willing, and able to commit murder. saying that someone should die is a personal opinion protected by free speech. blackmail is completely fair.
Doron Tauber
April 13, 2010 at 9:03 pm
and hate speech is a tricky one. if you stand outside someone’s house with a mob, screaming “we’re going to kill you tonight” then obviously that counts under threats, which are not protected. if you just say at a rally that someone is a bad person and deserves violence, that’s protected. could you give me an example if you’re still wondering exactly what i mean? it might help with clarity.
dimitri halikias
April 13, 2010 at 9:30 pm
you think death threats aren’t free speech because they actually threaten a violation of an individual’s rights, but by that same logic wouldn’t all forms of blackmail and extortion be unprotected if they threaten the individual’s right to property? And for an example of hate speech, the type of thing that was played on the Hutu radio prior to the Rwandan genocide that explicitly called for “destroying the enemy cockroaches” Would something like that go too far?
Doron Tauber
April 13, 2010 at 10:19 pm
i only believe they go too far if they directly threaten the physical safety of an individual.
I believe those comments are protected.