# What exactly is hate speech?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-hate-speech/149191
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [January 17, 2003, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-hate-speech/149191 "2003-01-17T06:45:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Guy\_Montag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Montag)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-hate-speech/149191/21 "2003-01-17T18:42:50Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Censorship is the worst hate speech.
amen, brother. amen.
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### Author:  [@Kalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalt)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-hate-speech/149191/22 "2003-01-17T19:28:39Z")
hate speech is speech that the majority doesn’t want to hear.
always keep in mind that hate speech is free speech.
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### Author:  [@Chanticleer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanticleer)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2003, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-hate-speech/149191/23 "2003-01-18T04:47:19Z")
Hate is a human emotion. It doesn’t evaporate if it isn’t spoken or typed. I fear much more that someone would censor my ability to express my feelings than I do that someone might hate me.
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### Author:  [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2003, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-hate-speech/149191/24 "2003-01-18T05:05:14Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Guy Montag \*
> \*\*…very slippery if you ask me… \*\*
Indeed. Hate speech is.
> [@](#):
>
> \*\*What if I invent a new explitive: “hang you.”
> \*\*
Ha, I have to remember that one!
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### Author:  [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2003, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-hate-speech/149191/25 "2003-01-18T05:11:43Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by EasyPhil \*
> \*\*[According to dictionary.com:](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=Hate%20Speech)
> \*\*
I find it interesting that there is a website called [Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com) which has a definition that my dictionary at home doesn’t…
Who decides on the definition of something like “hate speech” at [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com)? Do you think someone had to have a meeting about it?
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### Author:  [@Hermann\_Cheruscan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermann_Cheruscan)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-hate-speech/149191/26 "2003-01-18T06:07:08Z")
You know what "hate speech"is?
Its our “masters” in Washington DC saying “I don’t like what you’re thinking, boy”!
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-hate-speech/149191/27 "2003-01-18T14:36:49Z")
I disagree, Hermann.
We start by recollecting that First Amendment Free Speech is NOT unlimited. You can’t shout “Fire!” in a crowded theater. You can’t make libelous statements about another person (well, not without legal consequences.) If you tell someone how to go about committing a murder, you can be held as an accomplice. You can’t stand on a street corner waving a hangman’s noose and yelling, “Let’s lynch all the blacks!”
The latter is clearly “hate speech.” Granted, there’s lots and lots of grey, but the existence of grey does not deny the existence of black and white.
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-hate-speech/149191/28 "2003-01-18T20:41:54Z")
Dex wrote:
> [@](#):
>
> The latter is clearly “hate speech.”
True, but irrelevant in my opinion. What’s relevant is that it’s a threat.
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-hate-speech/149191/29 "2003-01-18T21:52:01Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by C K Dexter Haven \*
> \*\*I disagree, Hermann.
>
> We start by recollecting that First Amendment Free Speech is NOT unlimited. You can’t shout “Fire!” in a crowded theater. You can’t make libelous statements about another person (well, not without legal consequences.) If you tell someone how to go about committing a murder, you can be held as an accomplice. You can’t stand on a street corner waving a hangman’s noose and yelling, “Let’s lynch all the blacks!”
>
> The latter is clearly “hate speech.” Granted, there’s lots and lots of grey, but the existence of grey does not deny the existence of black and white. \*\*
Per Libertarian’s note does true “black and white” hate speech only exist when a direct threat is linked to the speech (as in your example) or can simply saying “xxx’s (race, creed, sexual preference groups etc. etc.) are just no damn good” also fall under the category of hate speech if no threat is expressed in the statement?
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2003, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-hate-speech/149191/30 "2003-01-19T02:34:11Z")
If you’re looking for a definition of “hate speech” you might be interested in [s. 319](http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C-46/39829.html) of the Canadian _Criminal Code_, which creates two offences respecting hatred:
> [@](#):
>
> **Public incitement of hatred**
> **319.** (1) Every one who, by communicating statements in any public place, incites hatred against any identifiable group where such incitement is likely to lead to a breach of the peace is guilty of
>
> (a) an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years; or
>
> (b) an offence punishable on summary conviction.
>
> **Wilful promotion of hatred**
> (2) Every one who, by communicating statements, other than in private conversation, wilfully promotes hatred against any identifiable group is guilty of
>
> (a) an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years; or
>
> (b) an offence punishable on summary conviction.
>
> **Defences**
> (3) No person shall be convicted of an offence under subsection (2)
>
> (a) if he establishes that the statements communicated were true;
>
> (b) if, in good faith, he expressed or attempted to establish by argument an opinion on a religious subject;
>
> © if the statements were relevant to any subject of public interest, the discussion of which was for the public benefit, and if on reasonable grounds he believed them to be true; or
>
> (d) if, in good faith, he intended to point out, for the purpose of removal, matters producing or tending to produce feelings of hatred toward an identifiable group in Canada.
>
> (By s. 319(7), “identifiable group” means any section of the public distinguished by colour, race, religion or ethnic origin.)
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2003, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-hate-speech/149191/31 "2003-01-19T11:44:42Z")
Ah, the list again. Unfortunate for midgets and homosexuals.
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