Divisiveness and hate are the narrative mainstream media pushes. Celebrities are quick to brigade conservatives no matter how flimsy the story — as the Smollett case has proven. But should the State police hate? And by doing so, are they coming closer to policing thought?
Judging Hate
Jussie Smollett paid a $100,000 bail to be set free — but you might need a bail bond agent to preserve your freedom if you were the scapegoat of his hoax. Utah legislation concerning hate crimes comes at a time when the media and ordinary people are quick to judge the character of those on the opposing party. Republicans bear the brunt of this problem, while leftists get a slap on the wrist. Assaults on Republicans and Trump supporters go unnoticed, while the littlest offense — even imagined ones — against Democrats and their protected allies provoke massive media outrage. Identity politics is a grim reality, and any attack against the protected elite is a hate crime. This can be especially dangerous because the Left hates the Right and considers them evil. Claims like Smollett’s are common, and introducing laws that give more political power to one side and targets the other will only make the situation worse.
Where Does It End?
Once a law policing hate is passed, it opens the door for various interpretation. What scope does it cover and what exactly constitutes violence? The Left already considers words to be a form of abuse, and Utah Cyberbullying Laws can give wings to the Left’s positions. Multiple social media platforms in the US already consider misgendering or dead-naming transgender individuals viable grounds for terminating your account. This is clearly a political move aimed at policing actions and influencing behavior to fit into the Leftist agenda. Disagreeing with a particular position is not hate. Disagreeing against an individual is not bullying. Passing additional laws that can make judgments on whether merely disagreeing can constitute hate is a gross violation of the 1st Amendment and an insult to the American way of life.
The Last Bastion of Freedom
The U.S. in one of the last bastions of freedom when it comes to thought and speech. Almost every country that has passed laws regarding hate has infringed on their citizens’ freedom. Canada requires its citizens to speak a certain way to a privileged group. That group dictates how Canadians are supposed to address them and violating their demands can result in a hefty fine or jail time. Hate speech laws in the UK has spiraled down to alarming degrees — to which the government polices comedy and humor. The UK hate speech laws have given rise to a protected elite. One whose words are final, and disagreement will be met by a visit from the police.
Passing a law to decide hate crimes makes very little sense. Crimes are crimes and the motivation — and especially the emotions — behind them are almost impossible to prove. Hate laws are unnecessary. Numerous countries have shown that hate laws will impede freedom and cause little change to the social fabric.