4 ms·
You can't. If you consider anyone's speech "hate speech", you are totally unequipped to eliminate negative emotions in other humans. "Hate speech" automatical
by throwaway7312 9y ago
You can't.
If you consider anyone's speech "hate speech", you are totally unequipped to eliminate negative emotions in other humans.
"Hate speech" automatically presumes irrationality on the part of the other party. This is the first step on the road to war; painting your adversary as The Other.
Regardless whom you're talking about, whether it's Black Lives Matter, Nazis, Antifa, Islamists, Salafists, or anyone. The moment you say, "That person's positions are hate speech," you have just announced dialogue between you and him are impossible. How can you dialogue with hate?
You're not going to label this person "hateful" and have that convince him he's got it all wrong and he needs to come over to your way of seeing things. Nor are you going to pick his brain and understand him better. And if you try to censor him he will become more certain of the righteousness of his cause. He will fight harder, with more ferocity, and others will come to see him as the underdog fighting against the system.
The only thing calling something "hate speech" does is to announce "I am not willing to talk to you." And when you aren't willing to talk to someone, yet set yourself firmly against him, there is only one option left on the table: one party must totally subdue the other.
Every time I hear the phrase "hate speech", I hear someone who bangs the drums for war.