Hate speech laws in the United States are a complicated subject, especially since other countries have begun to adopt new policies regarding this issue. There are no laws in place today that regulate any kind of “hate speech” in the U.S. However, hate speech laws do exist in many other countries, such as in Canada, where “hate propaganda” is forbidden, and in France, where any communication intended to discriminate against a specific group of people is illegal. Although there have been many proposals, such as the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act in 2017, no definitive laws on hate speech have been passed. This was suggested in order to broaden the definition of hate speech that can trigger a civil rights investigation (Suzanne Nossel). Hate speech has so far not been named as an exception to the First Amendment’s …show more content…
What someone may consider a completely valid opinion, another may consider hate speech. Terrorism, another very controversial subject at this time, is talked about everywhere, from social media to public speaking. Some view the relationship between the religion Islam and terrorism as a valid idea, while others can see it as hateful content towards Muslims. For example, in 2015, a British man was charged with “publishing written material intending to stir up religious hatred against Muslims”(Noah Daponte Smith) for something he had posted on his Facebook relating the two ideas. Because of these actions, he expects to serve a year in prison. What this man posted on his Facebook was expression of his view and idea that could’ve been taken in many different ways. Some considered it offensive, while others believed that it was a valid point of view. Either way, based on a law that regulates loosely defined opinions and feelings, this man will spend a full year in prison due to the fact that his voice has no protection under the