Surely the US government would never suppress constitutionally protected free speech. That’d be as absurd as the President unilaterally suspending habeas corpus for two years before giving it the official stamp of approval with the passing of the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act 1863.
I think we can draw a comparison with the recent “Dr” Andrew Wakefield film, “Vaxxed.”
The Tribeca Film Festival at first accepted, then decided not to screen the movie.
They were within their rights both times. I believe the “doctor” has found another outlet for his trash, but in the US, we the people prefer to decide for ourselves what news and entertainment and opinions to consume.
Not to hijack this, but how weird is it that we buy Red Baron pizzas? Complete with the depiction of a dashing and handsome pilot? Isn’t this supposed to be the guy who, after we declared war on his country, moved on from killing Englismen and Canadians by showing that he’d kill an American easy as killing an Australian?
The character in popular culture has grown mythical beyond Capt. Von Richthofen’s actual deeds over the passing of time. Still that factor is not entirely ignored (“Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, more; the Bloody Red Baron, was running up the score…”)
Plus, even then, once ol’ Manfred was taken down, he was promptly exalted under the old mythos of the gallant “honourable adversary”.
The writer and singer of the song “Peace Train” also said that Salman Rushdie should die for writing his own book, which conflicted with the writer and singer of the song “Peace Train”'s religious beliefs.
Interesting. I am not a lawyer, I would have gotten this wrong. As far as I understand current US practice, there is a concept called a “hate crime”, for which punishments are increased, but apparently that is different from “hate speech”. Though as I remember reading the news, the words an individual used can qualify his/her actions as a hate crime. So as I understand it, one can be punished for saying certain things, even if “hate speech” isn’t a concept.
In general, constitutional rights are rarely if ever absolute. For instance, the famous: “one can’t shout fire in a crowded theater” exception.
Pretty much. For example, you can be a member of the KKK and march down the street waving a banner that explains how much you hate black people. This isn’t a crime and it is impossible to be prosecuted for it. But if you attack a black person, and your racist beliefs are the motive for the attack, you have committed a “hate crime.”
Apparently killing someone because you are racist is somehow worse than killing them just for the giggles.
Because a hate crime has the additional intent and likely result of intimidating and threatening an entire group of people into not exercising their civil rights. The direct victim is not the only significant victim of a hate crime. It’s the entire group he or she belongs to, as well as society as a whole, because it creates an atmosphere of menace that chills civil society.
I think Das Boot straddled the fence really skillfully in that it depicted Nazi submariners in a sympathetic light without depicting Nazism itself in a sympathetic light.
The question I’m asking about in the OP is about blatant, clear, obvious endorsement of Nazism, ISIS, or some other enemy.