Canadian Human Rights Commission
In Canada, they have a Human Rights Commission which, among other things, prevents the usage of hate speech. This was likely put in place due to the habit of fundamentalist Christians to engage in hate speech against gays. Here in America, we have similar things on our college campuses (speech codes).
This commission has harrassed a newspaper publisher who reprinted those cartoons about Muhammad that the Muslims killed people over. This is an example of why we as freethinkers need to avoid supporting these types of laws, however nice it would be to stop the anti-gay hate speech of the fundamentalists. Dangerous forms of religion (like fundamentalist Christianity and Islam) will use these types of laws against their critics. We need to learn from the example of the Canadians.
The big problem with anti-hate speech laws is they end up protecting the very people who spew the most hate.
I'm guessing Fred Phelps can go to Canada and preach "God hates fags" and get immunity from the anti-hate speech laws with a simply, "hey, just expressing my religious beliefs". I do know that's how it works elsewhere. Religious zealots usually get a free pass that way.
I believe there is no censoring hate speech. The best way to fight it is to let is all out in the open. Typically, hate mongers will expose and discredit themselves, especially when our voices are just as free as theirs.
I remember how the KKK was allowed to march in Louisville. 10 times the number of cournter protesters showed up. That's how you fight hate speech.
The big problem is who gets to decide what is hate speech. What about hate speech against Nazis? Human rights legislation, as opposed to natural rights and civil liberties (tied to property rights) expounded by Locke and Paine, are just vehicles to concentrate arbitrary power in the hands of an already too powerful government.
i hate flag burning and that crazy broad who disrupts military funerals but free speech is free speech and any infringement on it is bullshit imo . hate speech laws will be used by cair to shut down ant critique of islam and islam needs lots of critique...