I've heard this sentiment expressed so frequently that I came up with a canned response:
Wishing death on a president is shamefully bad taste, but not illegal.
Threatening death on a president is a terroristic threat (illegal).
In no case would either of these be considered "hate speech." In the former you have the right to out yourself as a complete idiot. In the latter, Free Speech does not allow you to make terroristic threats, for the same reason you can't yell "fire" in a theater.
for the same reason you can't yell "fire" in a theater.
You absolutely CAN yell "fire" in a crowded theater, and it's not illegal to do so. You can however also be SUED by anyone who is injured in the resulting chaos.
The "fire in a crowded theater" line is one of the biggest and oldest myths/misconceptions pushed by opponents of free speech. Simply because you are not protected from the consequences of your speech does not mean that the speech itself is unlawful. Note also that it requires there be no actual fire, and your speech therefor be demonstrably false.
I've heard this sentiment expressed so frequently that I came up with a canned response:
Wishing death on a president is shamefully bad taste, but not illegal.
Threatening death on a president is a terroristic threat (illegal).
In no case would either of these be considered "hate speech." In the former you have the right to out yourself as a complete idiot. In the latter, Free Speech does not allow you to make terroristic threats, for the same reason you can't yell "fire" in a theater.
You absolutely CAN yell "fire" in a crowded theater, and it's not illegal to do so. You can however also be SUED by anyone who is injured in the resulting chaos.
The "fire in a crowded theater" line is one of the biggest and oldest myths/misconceptions pushed by opponents of free speech. Simply because you are not protected from the consequences of your speech does not mean that the speech itself is unlawful. Note also that it requires there be no actual fire, and your speech therefor be demonstrably false.
It's amazing how much their ideology falls apart once you apply "effects on other people"