This is an excellent article published by the Hoover Institution in 2011 discussing how the United States and the European Union have diverged in the recent past when it comes to freedom of speech, and specifically concerning laws restricting "hate speech". I recommend reading it.
The Sordid Origin of Hate-Speech Laws
While members of the European Union have been forced to enact ever-stricter laws limiting freedom of speech, the United States Supreme Court has time and again ruled any such laws to be unconstitutional, thus reinforcing the protections granted by the First Amendment.
In today's Europe it's actually a bit hard to believe that the majority of western European countries actually used to be in agreement with the United States, that they used to oppose hate-speech laws.
Laws that restrict freedom of speech are unconstitutional (in most countries that have a constitution), but that doesn't seem to stop them, perhaps because the Constitution means nothing in Europe anymore. Most European countries understood in the past (not even such a long time ago) the importance of protecting people's rights and freedoms, but this lesson has been forgotten, and constitutions have become toilet paper. Restricting people's free speech is one of the tools of totalitarianism (as discussed in the Hoover Institution article).
The Sordid Origin of Hate-Speech Laws
While members of the European Union have been forced to enact ever-stricter laws limiting freedom of speech, the United States Supreme Court has time and again ruled any such laws to be unconstitutional, thus reinforcing the protections granted by the First Amendment.
In today's Europe it's actually a bit hard to believe that the majority of western European countries actually used to be in agreement with the United States, that they used to oppose hate-speech laws.
Laws that restrict freedom of speech are unconstitutional (in most countries that have a constitution), but that doesn't seem to stop them, perhaps because the Constitution means nothing in Europe anymore. Most European countries understood in the past (not even such a long time ago) the importance of protecting people's rights and freedoms, but this lesson has been forgotten, and constitutions have become toilet paper. Restricting people's free speech is one of the tools of totalitarianism (as discussed in the Hoover Institution article).
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