Senate Dems Toss Free Speech Under The Bus At Hearing
Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., stirred fury on social media on Wednesday when he said that if you "espouse hatred," you may not have First Amendment rights.
Cardin addressed First Amendment safeguards during his closing remarks on how to govern internet communication in both the business and public sectors.
"It is incredibly valuable part of our fabric and can be used for good, and we know that it can be used for bad. I admire your desire for the private sector to do what’s right. We do hope that’s the case, but I do think there’s a role for government consistent with our First Amendment. For us establishing parameters, if you espouse hate, if you espouse violence, you're not protected under the First Amendment," Cardin said.
He added, "I think we can be more aggressive in the way that we handle that type of use of the internet. We know that Europe has done things, I think we have to learn things from each other. I hope we can figure out the strategy that we need everybody united on it."
Cardin’s comments saw intense backlash for calling for limitations to speech based on "espousing hate." It's a dangerous argument because who decides what's hate? After all it's the same right that allows Dems to attack the constitution which in other countries would be a crime.
Independent journalist Glenn Greenwald wrote, "Everything that @SenatorCardin says here about the First Amendment is a demonstrable lie. But this shouldn’t be surprising since a core plank of the Dem Party - not an ancillary one but a core - is state greater censorship of online political speech."
Everything that @SenatorCardin says here about the First Amendment is a demonstrable lie.
But this shouldn’t be surprising since a core plank of the Dem Party - not an ancillary one but a core - is state greater censorship of online political speech: https://t.co/3cClnPr0o1
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 29, 2022
Democrats have always defended the right to free expression in the United States. They have frequently attempted to limit it through legislation and court rulings. They have also attempted to limit individuals' capacity to express their opinions, frequently through intimidation and censorship. They have also attempted to stifle people who disagree with their own ideas or practices.
This has been accomplished through hate speech legislation, restrictions on certain themes or terms, and the use of public shame. Democrats have also attempted to keep some speech out of public spaces, such as college campuses, by restricting students' freedom to voice their beliefs.
I'm not for hate speech but who determines how that is defined? The same people who determine what a woman is? I mean... It is either free or not. For better or worse.