me laws because hate speech can sometimes spark hate crimes. The first amendment says that individuals have the right to express themselves in any way they wish. But the big question weighing on my mind is, does that include hate speech? Some people like me, believe that speech that promotes “hatred, violence and prejudice” against someone’s race, sex, ethnic back round, sexual orientation or any other group should be restricted and considered a hate crime. According to Issues and Controversies on File this type of speech, often called “hate speech” sometimes oppresses different minorities and groups by making them victims of “hostility” and violence (Hate 225). Hate speech doesn’t have to be spoken; it can come in many other forms. It can take form as symbols, signs, flyers, or any material that is published. For instance, “ in 1987, racist fliers declaring “open hunting season” on blacks were distributed on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The fliers that called black people “saucer lips, porch monkeys, and jigaboos,” were considered examples of hate speech by the university.” This resulted in the University of Michigan and several other colleges to enact new so called “speech codes”. Soon after the university incidents “certain local governments” started to make their own hate crime laws because the hate speech was “demeaning and harmful to the community”(Hate 226).In conclusion I want to make it clear that in whatever form they come in, hate crimes are wrong, and that is why I still firmly support hate crime laws....
