Dear editor:

Don’t do it! Please do not act on the Un-American cry to stifle speech. There is no “hate speech.” There is only “speech,” some of which can be hateful for sure.

(4) comments

cbellis

RetVet when you spend your life being called (insert any gay slur) then you can make the choice to grow a thicker skin or start to fight back. When you hear someone scream Obscene word (gay slur) out of their car and purposely run your friend down in the street, then you can choose to grow a thicker skin or fight back. When your teenage son finally lets you know that the kids at school asked if they could call him the N-word then You can choose To grow a thicker skin or fight back. When you open the paper and see the same derogatory terms being used by a feature columnist that is being paid by the paper against you then you can choose to grow a thicker skin or fight back. Allowing this type of talk and yes verbal abuse continued either through spoken word or in print gives these terms validation. It should not be tolerated nor accepted. Until you have walked in my shoes or my sons shoes don’t tell me to grow a thicker skin. Oh and a sidenote when I first tried to print this and used vailed term of profanity or gay slurs that they did not want to print. Go figure.

DaveBarry1099

When you outlaw speech you don't like, eventually, someone will outlaw speech that you do like. Today's authorized speech is tomorrows 'hate' speech. That is why you should never stifle speech. Any speech.

Ebenne

If you had to open the paper each day and see hate speech hurled at you from the pages you would not be so ready to fight to the death for this to be printed.

RetVet

Ebenne,

It works both ways. And, you can always choose to not read what you find offensive.

Or, grow a thicker more skin and not let what others think both you so much.

The world is full of good people that might say "bad" things and bad people that might say "good" things. It all depends on perspective, life experience, education, and even personal prejudices. But I wouldn't ascribe "Hate" to everything you don't like or agree with.

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