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Comment by ibn_ibid | Hacker News Reader

Not if we realize that free speech doesn't mean letting hate speech go unchecked

It's a tough problem to tackle as soon as you throw subjectivity and personal beliefs in the mix.

Perhaps, but there aren't exactly "many sides" to a group chanting "gas the kikes" and celebrating the murder -by-car of a counter-protestor. There's no moral grey-area here.

That's exactly the reason why it exists in the first place.

Racist viewpoints? COVERED

Misogynistic viewpoints? COVERED

Satanism, Cults and "questionable" religious groups? COVERED

Pedophiles and MBLA? COVERED

Websites that advocate illegal drug use? COVERED

Websites that advocate political assassination? COVERED

Websites that advocate killing law enforcement officers? COVERED

There are limitations to free speech, but the reason it EXISTS is not cover speech YOU approve it, it's for speech people you DO NOT agree with and viewpoints that aren't popular.

This is the problem I have with people who say they support freedom of speech, but when it comes to groups like ANTIFA, BLM and others on the left, it's ok to shut down white supremacist websites, but not others exposing the same thing, just on the other side of the aisle.

You can't have it both ways, that's why freedom of speech covers EVERYBODY equally.

>You can't have it both ways, that's why freedom of speech covers EVERYBODY equally.

Actually, you can, that's why there are free speech exceptions in US law and protected classes? Hate speech and hate crimes are a real thing.

Also "ANTIFA" (it's "Antifa" lol) and BLM aren't monolithic groups - one is an ideology dedicated to fighting fascism and the other is a social justice movement consisting of many decentralized local community orgs. Neither of these are comparable to Nazis literally shouting to gas kikes in the streets and running over peaceful protesters and if you think they are, you might want to check yourself.

Except that 'antifa' is Anti Fascism, which is a pretty good thing except of course when you're a fascist and BLM does not say 'but white lives do not matter', it is usually interpreted as 'black lives matter too'.

It takes a special kind of warp to see either of those as spewing hate, whereas it is pretty easy to why people in general believe Nazis spew hate.

Antifa aren't anti fascist. They're a terrorist organisation. They physically attack people for wearing Donald Trump hats and for attending protests.

Saying "antifa" are simply anti-fascists is like saying "nazis" are simply nationalist socialists. There are extremist groups on either side of the ideological spectrum. (which often share a lot of ideologies too)

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