So Hail Ants is on a time out, a one-week suspension, for this Humble Opinion:
The reason cited was “Hate Speech.” Now, I’m assuming it was his using the word “niggers,” that earned him the suspension.
But I’m puzzled as to whom the targets of his “hate” are. Are rioters really a group that can’t be hated on on this message board? Who’s concerned about the prickly sensibilities of rioters?
I realize Hail Ants can’t respond, but I don’t think he needs to. My question is: what constitutes “hate speech” after you’ve narrowed the target to criminals? (Would someone really be suspended for writing: “That nigger, Wayne Williams, should have been executed by Georgia 30 years ago for killing those kids in Atlanta.”?)
I would certainly hope so. In fact, I think they should be banned for it. And shunned. And pointed at. And mocked for their stupidity. But I’d settle for banned.
I rather suspect it was the claim that they should all be mown down with M60s that did it. Saying people should be killed because of their race is definitely hate speech, and Hail Ants was extremely close to saying that.
I wondered about that, but the official police policy in the Detroit riots of '67 was to shoot rioters (looters?) on sight. It’s not, historically, a terribly controversial policy.
He’s only getting one week? I would think something that disgusting (the “n-word” plus stating that blacks should be “mowed down”) should get at least a month.
In my opinion as I moderator, that would probably earn someone at least a suspension, even in the Pit. Williams race doesn’t have anything to do with his crimes, and using “nigger” there has no point other than a racist comment.
That had a bearing, to be sure. However, in my personal opinion, advocating that “racist white trash rednecks … should all be shot on sight” would also not have been an acceptable remark on this board.
I’m sorry, I’m having a real problem understanding how you could think that’s all he was doing, or why you might imagine that a remark like that would be acceptable.
A group of people of a particular race deserve to be called by a racial slur. Further, those people, who are referred to by a racial slur, should be murdered.
That constitutes hate speech. And yes, in your other example, that would also constitute hate speech.
No, I think seeking ostracism and banning of someone who calls him a “nigger” does. My response would be, “Eh, convicted child murderer? People can call him whatever they want.”
Well, you certainly can call him whatever you want. I would simply support your banning if you did it here. And if I knew you in person, I would stop interacting with you. That’s how it works. You can say offensive and nasty stuff, and other people can reject it and/or you.
I thought he was referring to a group of people, of a particular race, who happened to be caught committing a crime. I must’ve read it wrong, because I didn’t read the shooting part as “deserved to be murdered,” but rather as, “should be shot and stopped before they hurt more people and destroy more property.”
Got it. Bannings will be handed out for calling Wayne Williams the N-word. I won’t do that.