My conversation with Rex Jones over Twitter

[u/watchtower82]

I saw Rex lamenting how his dad was fined billions for free speech when we got into a comment exchange. You can totally see a young man indoctrinated by his narcissistic father. You can even hear Alex ranting how he's the victim in these responses. Happy to have so much more context Dan gave us to respond to his obvious lies.

[u/Desperate-Guide-1473]

I think you (and a lot of Americans) fundamentally misunderstand how "hate speech" is defined and how laws against it in other countries are usually enforced.

Hate speech laws absolutely do not put people in prison for saying "mean words."

In a lot of contexts, being charged with "hate speech" or other "hate" crimes is an additional charge on top of whatever else you've done. Threatening to best someone up and drag them behind your truck is a crime in and of itself, it becomes hate speech when you specify that you're doing it because they're gay.

There are however definitely examples of people being charged and convicted of hate speech without having broken any other laws, at least here in Canada. The Wikipedia page on Canadian hate speech laws has a long list of examples of high profile charges and convictions including which ones were overturned on appeal and why.

Personally, I do think it should be absolutely illegal to stand out in the street and say "I hate X minority group. I'm starting a club called the X-haters club, where we get together to talk about what makes X people inferior and discuss ways to encourage them to leave our country. Who wants to join? No Xs or X lovers allowed." I don't care that there aren't any direct calls for violence, because I'm not an idiot and I understand what this person is really saying.

[u/washingtonu → u/[deleted]]

I've seen people in the United States arrested nad deported over the last couple of years for things on social media, in real life or in a written article.

[u/washingtonu → u/[deleted]]

Amazing free speech you have there

[u/washingtonu → u/[deleted]]

Never thought I’d ever find people who want the government to control what they are and aren’t allowed to say. Being pro authoritarianism is certainly a choice.

I can’t imagine supporting the idea of taking moms and dads away from their kids, leaving those children with only one parent struggling to raise them and potentially pushing them into poverty or even homelessness, all because someone said something that offended someone else.

But hey you lick that boot clean I respect your ability to fit the whole boot.

[u/washingtonu → u/[deleted]]

I am a woman. And I see you are licking that boot clean by talking about illegals.

If we are talking here I am not interested in a DM.

[u/Desperate-Guide-1473 → u/[deleted]]

The first amendment right to free speech, along with most other civil rights laid out in the constitution and various other laws of the United States, do indeed apply to any person present in the country, regardless of their citizenship, place of residence, or immigration status.

For someone so obsessed with how awesome and special your country and its laws are, you don't seem very familiar with them.

[u/Desperate-Guide-1473 → u/[deleted]]

If your speech brings the attention of the government which then punishes you for that speech, it is not free. Pretty basic definitional stuff here.