This is in response to the antisemitic demonstrations at Ivy League universities: The rights of an individual end where the rights of another individual begin. The right to freedom of speech ends where the rights of others to live without fear for their safety begins.
A literal interpretation of the First Amendment, that it protects hate speech, takes into account only the rights of the speaker. It does not take into account the rights of those being targeted and bullied, which are just as important.
It is no different than fundamentalists who demand a literal interpretation of religious Scripture, without exception and with no regard for the suffering of those affected by it. From the author Salman Rushdie: “Fundamentalism isn’t about religion, it’s about power.”
People want life to be black and white so they don’t have to think. Unfortunately, life is full of shades of gray that require thinking and the consideration of more than one side. There should be no protections for speech that endorses the bullying and persecution of others.
— Thomas Harrison Morse
Anchorage
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