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I Hate the Speech Police

From a friend who asked to remain anonymous comes this message (if the internal links don’t work when I paste it, I’ll try to come back and insert them later), in full:

A bunch of left wing groups have asked the FCC to monitor “hate speech,” “misinformation” in the media - both online and in broadcast/print media - and look into options “for counteracting or reducing” it.  


FCC asked to monitor “hate speech,” “misinformation” online
[…]
The coalition has asked the agency to request public comments on hate speech in the media, inquire into its extentexplore “the relationship between hate speech in the media and hate crimes,” and look into options “for counteracting or reducing the negative effects of such speech.”

In addition, the groups wants the FCC to 
examine “the prevalence of misinformation” in the media, since misinformation “creates a climate of prejudice.””


Yeah.  What could possibly go wrong.
Good points from Reason’s Hit and Run & Red State (text below):

Free Press goes all-in on censorship

Posted by Neil Stevens (Profile)
Tuesday, June 1st at 12:03PM EDTIt’s now out in the open: the Internet censors are on the march. The neo-Marxists at Free Press promised us that Net Neutrality had nothing to do with censorship. But as I’ve warned, once the FCC did their Title II Deem and Pass reclassification of ISPs as phone companies, in direct contravention of the Telecommunications Act, censorship was fully within their reach.Even as Republicans have come out strongly against the FCC’s excesses and opposition is even growing from House Democrats, with total opposition now accounting for a majority of the House, Free Press and their pet commissioner Michael Copps are trying to control the whole Internet in the name of preventing “hate speech.”Free Press ally the National Hispanic Media Coalition also claims that commissar-defined hate speech has no first amendment protection, per Ars Technica:“The NHMC understands that those who would prefer hate speech to remain under the radar will claim that such an inquiry violates the First Amendment,” the group added. “No doubt they will raise the red herring of the restoration of the ‘fairness doctrine,’ trying to divert the attention of the vast majority of Americans who find hate speech reprehensible.”Ars Technica asks the obvious followup question:Finally, why would the FCC want to run an inquiry on Internet content at a time when, in pursuit of revised net neutrality rules, its chair is trying to convince the public that the agency doesn’t want to regulate Internet content?My answer: because this is why Free Press has been driving Net Neutrality the whole time. Their goal is state control of the mass media. It always has been, and they’ve always been open about it. “Media reform,” as they call it, is no different from “Health care reform,” and we know how “well” that turned out.”

Quin’s comment: I hate these speech-denying jerks described here. I hate their ideology. I hate their authoritarian/proto-totalitarian tendencies with regard to free speech. I hate this naked attempt at state censorship.And if they want to come after me for this “hate” speech, so be it. Come on. Hit me with your best shot. And watch what a free society will do to the likes of you.

View all comments (5) |

Jim Woodward| 6.2.10 @ 10:51AM

Quin,
Problem is, will we continue to have a free society able to act?
Example. I'm an NRA Life member. Once Govt. gets its hands on the membership roster, if they have'nt already there goes the Second Amendment right after the First.

Ken (Old Texican)| 6.2.10 @ 11:22AM

Jim,

I hear you loud and clear, but I think Quin is using a different "definition" of free than you might be thinking of.
In the words of Robert Heinlein, "You cannot enslave a free man.....you can only kill him."

Yes, you can bet your bottom dollar the feds already have your roster. Their problem is that most NRA members have more than one rifle, OOPs.
Surely you have buried at least one with ammo haven't you? (grin)
No, in my best estimate, shutting down the internet would bring on a national "sit-down strike revolution" that will disolve the country's economy completely.
Good luck.

Jim Woodward| 6.2.10 @ 11:59AM

Ken,
Thanks for the reply and reminding me of Heinlein.
At least here in Utah, as I am sure in Texas most of have more than one!

More Blog Posts by Quin Hillyer

http://spectator.org/blog/2010/06/02/i-hate-the-speech-police

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