Panel discussion in New York: Should we criminalize hate speech?

 

NEW YORK – Spiked U.S. and the New York Law School chapter of the American Constitution Society will host a panel discussion Tuesday on hate speech and its impact on fundamental freedoms. Speakers will include Paul Coleman, Nadine Strossen, and Brendan O’Neill, all of whom will address the question, “Should we be allowed to say what we want freely, even if some deem it ‘hateful’?”

“In many European countries, the government wants to shut down debate on ‘hot topics’ like immigration, marriage, sexuality, and the critique of other religions. Ministers, journalists, and even private individuals have faced criminal charges as a result,” said Coleman, who has written widely on the subject and is the author of the book, Censored: How European “Hate Speech” Laws are Threatening Freedom of Speech. “Nonetheless, speech laws are not only a growing concern in Europe. Even in the U.S., censorship on campuses, in churches, and in the political sphere is growing.”

Censored addresses the rise of “hate speech” laws in Europe and their devastating effect on freedom of speech. In Germany, for example, committing an “insult” can be a criminal offense, while in Poland offending “religious feelings” carries a two-year prison sentence. Such examples, along with 50 different cases described in the book, show how “hate speech” laws are readily being used in Europe. In the U.S., there are growing calls for similar “hate speech” laws.