Cohen-Almagor on Hate and Racist Speech in the United States @almagor35

Raphael Cohen-Almagor, University of Hull, has published Hate and Racist Speech in the United States: A Critique at 6 Philosophy and Public Issues 77 (2016). Here is the abstract.

This article attempts to explain why the United States is exhibiting the most liberal stand on protecting freedom of expression. It is argued that the American credo is comprised of strong belief in liberty and individuality and of strong anti-government sentiment. The First Amendment is enshrined in its culture and tradition. The protection of political speech is fundamental to the American democracy. As U.S. Constitution strongly protects political speech, it confers protection also on hate speech which is included in the broad definition of political speech. The article advocates that we take the evils of hate speech seriously. It criticizes the American ‘viewpoint-neutrality’ concept and argues that a balance needs to be struck between competing social interests. Freedom of expression is important as is the protection of vulnerable minorities.

Download the article from SSRN at the link.