Most voters are concerned about “hate speech” on the Internet, but are split on whether speech can be suppressed without violating First Amendment protections.
That’s according to Rasmussen Reports.
The poll finds that 70% of likely U.S. voters say they think hate speech on the Internet is a serious problem, including 45% who say the problem is “very serious.”
Twenty-four percent (24%) say they do not consider hate speech on the Internet to be a serious problem.
Forty-one percent (41%) of voters say the federal government should intervene to suppress hate speech on the Internet, while 40% disagree. Nineteen percent (19%) are undecided.
Hate speech is defined by the Cambridge Dictiontary as “public speech that expresses hate or encourages violence toward a person or group based on something such as race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.”
Views divide largely along party lines, with 58% of Democrats saying the federal government should take action to suppress online hate speech. Only 31% of Republicans and those not affiliated with either major party said the government should take action.
Forty-nine percent (49%) of Republicans say they don’t believe the government should suppress hate speech on the Internet, an opinion shared by only 25% of Democrats and 48% of unaffiliated voters.
To see survey question wording, click here.
The government needs to stay the hell out of our lives.. If people are so worried about “hate speech” on the internet, then they need to STAY OFF THE INTERNET. It’s that simple. Don’t ruin it just bc you’re too sensitive! Sick of the crap from liberals.
BINGO!
DITTO!
Free speech = people can air their own foolishness and hopefully earn a rebuke. I’d rather a KKK group expose themselves for all to loath, than have the government grant themselves authority to invade my privacy because I voted for Trump, therefore I must be [insert defamation here]. Think about it! Politicians who would codify such power are OBVIOUSLY the worst, most slanderous offenders! They are trying to deflect with 3 fingers pointing right back at them. Who gets to decide it is hate speech to note the fact that gender is biological not whimsical!
Then they would have to “manage” themselves.
No regime utalizes divison, suspicion, and hate more than this lying,
vile, murderous regime.
It’s such a challenging question for libertarians and faithful proponents of the Bill Of Rights to consider. On one hand, you ideally prefer we the people be influenced by actual facts. However, since social media is now the low-hanging fruit of information access, propaganda and abject falsehoods rule the day. I guess the answer is we do have to begin treating social media with the same rules the fourth estate is expected to operate under. Sadly, unbiased reporting is as rare as a snowbird in hell.
Kudos to Char and Dgles for their comments.
Don’t like what is on the internet, find another media but then the garbage coming from the MSM is as hateful to the nation as anything on social media. There is more hate for the nation coming from the left as they push to divide and conquer.
It is always good to have those bigots expose themselves, If they believe their comments will convince others to join their hateful group, they are very naive. Only thing I would caution others is not to even engage those morons.
Considering the facts regarding propaganda and the Govt’s own agencies that create hate speech for political reasons it is a wee bit ironic to expect “OUR GOVT” to regulate speech. The oxymoron is: Regulating “free” speech. If it’s regulated it is no longer free… such a silly argument.
The problem isn’t free speech, it is a total lack of manners. People need to learn some civility.
1. Hate speech cannot be defined
2. Government needs to back out of day to day living.
3.. Social websites should allow users to delete from their view anything that offends them..
How will you stop all comatose mentally deranged putrid vulgar RACIST HATEFUL intolerant BIGOTED narcissistic KKK slavery demonrat TRASH from regurgitating?
Hate speech has always existed. Who is this angel that is going to decide what it is? We don’t need more government in out lives. Enough is enough. The difference between “then” and “now” is the “delivery system” There is a platform that makes it appear as if it is a new problem because it seems ubiquitous. The root of the problem today really lies in the culture. We need a return to the Judeo-Christian values that the country was founded on. Let freedom ring and as others have said, get government out of our lives.