Macron says U.S. did not join charter against online hate speech

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

WORLD NEWS AUGUST 26, 2019 / 1:04 PM / UPDATED 7 HOURS AGO

Macron says U.S. did not join charter against online hate speech

BIARRITZ, France (Reuters) - The United States did not sign up to a charter against online hate speech at the G7 summit for legal reasons, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday after the end of the meeting.

“We formalized an agreement for the first time with several Anglo-Saxon and European platforms and with support from nearly all (G7) countries,” Macron told reporters after the summit, which was held in southwestern France.

“We had a very good discussion with the United States, which for legal reasons was not able to formalize the agreement on this point,” Macron said, adding he was hopeful it could be done in the coming weeks.

Reporting by John Irish and Michel Rose, writing by Leigh Thomas, Editing by Inti Landauro

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-g7-summit-internet-charter/macron-says-u-s-did-not-join-charter-against-online-hate-speech-idUSKCN1VG1VZ

[Raster]

1. Of course the US did not join the charter against hate speech...

...that is President Dipshit*s base doing the hating.

[Iliyah]

2. Spot on!

[PoliticAverse]

3. ...

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/first_amendment

[Raster]

4. please... I believe in the freedom of speech, but I also DO NOT believe in "all or nothing"

Cases in point: 1. The Second Amendment. You want to own guns, fine. That is your right. But is it your right to own expressed implements of war? Seriously, you're going hunting with an AK47 or an AR15? Those guns ARE MADE FOR KILLING PEOPLE. Should they be allowed to be sold out of proverbial vending machines to appease the Second Amendmentists? I think not.

2. First Amendment. Hate speech. Yeah, great, freedom of speech. Except that freedom of speech also means FREEDOM FROM SPEECH. You want to utter your miserable racist, sexist, homophobic and misogynistic ramblings? Fine. I don't want to have to hear it. And I sure as shit don't want it blathered about public media (8-chan) as a rallying cry for the next feeble-minded incel to seize upon for his "manifesto."

Unfortunately, many of the European nations had to live the last bout of extreme hate speech when an Austrian madman decided to turn people he didn't like into soap. So we in the States tend to have the luxury of not having to live with the ramifications of our "lofty ideals." Just as words can do wonderful things, words can also do hideous, damaging things.

[PoliticAverse]

5. There's sufficient case law in the US already that makes clear that "hate speech" is protected

by the first amendment.

[Raster]

6. And perhaps that will need to be re-appraised as hate speech is weaponized.