> Merely expressing an idea, even if it involves negativity or dislike toward a certain group of people, is not in itself harmful. It is harmful in and of itse

> Merely expressing an idea, even if it involves negativity or dislike toward a certain group of people, is not in itself harmful. It is harmful in and of itself. I don't know if you've ever had people urging others to hurt you but it's immensely threatening, very scary. And for good reason - there's the knowledge that there's easy respect up for grabs in that hateful little group, something that encourages lonely bitter people to go do the things. The speech creates an incentive for the action. It's a difference of degree, not of type, between putting out a hit on someone and hate speech. It's just the payment that's slightly different.