What is the difference between my opinion and my right to it, versus hate speech and its censorship? According to the dictionary, an opinion is an expression of a belief, view or judgment that is not necessarily based in fact, nor in knowledge. It is an expression open for debate. According to other academic sources, an opinion can be based on evidence or facts as well. Remember that evidence is not necessarily fact itself but it is necessary to confirm facts. Evidence must undergo rigorous testing in order to establish fact. Opinions are also up for debate depending on evolving evidence, beliefs and viewpoints. Now let’s look at hate speech.
Hate speech seems to be universally thought of as any conversations or statements that target a group or individual based on certain characteristics. These may include race, culture, sexual orientation, gender, homelessness, addiction, mental health or any of the “labels” that society has bestowed on people that do not fit into the seeming majority culture that is viewed as mainstream. It is used to “otherize” certain people or groups. It is expressed in order to demean, objectify, or demonize with the purpose, either maliciously or “unknowingly” to threaten social peace.
So if we disagree on an opinion, it is likely because we are unaware or unaccepting of evidence supporting facts. Disagreements can occur when we and/or others have become rigid within a certain belief system. Healthy debates are open to exploring changing viewpoints, evidence and facts. Strong communication and listening skills can make debate very useful in evolving opinions, evidence and facts. Conversely, rigid and absolute opinions can be very unhealthy, particularly when not based in evidence and facts. So overall, debating opinions can be helpful and healthy in an otherwise healthy culture and society.
My opinion is that hate speech on the other hand does not promote health in society. I base that first on personal evidence and experience and then on academic evidence. With racism, gender identity, substance use and mental health, my viewpoint based on the evidence I have seen as a counsellor for decades has shown me that hate speech is harmful to individuals, groups and society as a whole. I have witnessed how an individual who is targeted by a “majority” group has to adapt to survive in a world that typically will target them for certain unwanted or unacceptable characteristics. These may not be based in any evidence or fact but rather, “opinion” based on rigid viewpoints and beliefs. All too often, adapting skills are developed against or opposite the “norm” of so called mainstream.
I have witnessed how groups such as Indigenous or people of color (a characteristic and label in and of itself assigned by a majority group of white culture) are segregated covertly and overtly. I have witnessed how people without shelter, people who use substances, people who are neurodivergent, people with physical disabilities are all segregated, sometimes even banished from society.
To support my personal viewpoints and witness to these observations or evidence, I have studied these issues extensively academically as well. I have reviewed studies and social scientific literature as well as biographies all reinforcing the evidence of the “otherization” and demonization of certain groups and individuals who are not wanted by a certain majority portion of society. In other words, other people have also studied and experienced the darkside of hate speech and have come up with the same conclusions and facts. Corroboration is a crucial characteristic of research.
So, I used to tell jokes as a kid that are now considered in the same category as hate speech. Did I know this, did society know this? No, not at the time. And not knowing did not make those jokes any less hurtful to the targets. But I know that now. I watched movies with black face and usually with an all white cast playing people of other cultures for instance. At the time, I did not know the background of segregation but I know it now. I used to use terms that would denigrate women, children, cultures, sexual orientation. I know better now that I know how those terms came to be and how they were pejorative and hurtful. Based on evidence, my opinions supporting the things we used to do that were based on historic racist, prejudice, bigotry; essentially hateful opinions, changed.
As a counsellor working with substance use and mental health I used to use terms that we thought were acceptable based on opinions towards people that struggled with these issues. After I came to know people and after my extensive training and experience in the field, my opinions changed. They changed as the evidence changed.
Unfortunately society and its institutions have not kept up to the evidence as a whole. Most people in society operate from evidence that seems, at best, antiquated, at worst deliberately hateful. From this hate, all kinds of conspiracy theories and opinions of division have grown almost mainstream it seems.
The division is not in the difference of opinion. The division is in the reluctance to continue to review evidence. There is a reluctance to change, to remain in the familiar. There is a reluctance to break down the absolute. We all seem to want a solid piece to hold on to. This seems to be human nature. So we create diversions such as accusations of division or conspiracies of this or that to distract from the real issues underneath. It works too. We become so distracted we forget or even deny the real issues. It is a challenge we all must continue to face and accept.
Free speech is the expression of ideas, beliefs and opinions. Always with freedom comes responsibility. Our responsibility is to evolve, learn, stay curious and back up our opinions with rigorous evidence supporting facts. We must explore beyond the comfortable into the unknown and uncomfortable. And then express what we have learned with confidence, humility, openness, and supportive language.
Hate speech is there, buried in our social consciousness from our less than glorious history. It is often cloaked in humour and justified as being rightful as it is rationalized as an opinion. It is often aggressive even if not intended to be. It is always hurtful even when not intended to be. The lack of intention is simply based in lack of current knowledge. It is used to continue “otherizing” or segregating those people who the majority don’t think fit in to a certain social mindset. Thus it is the true divisive tool in our society.
So think about our “rights” to free speech and our opinions. Critically think about those opinions and the speech we will use to express them. It could be helpful to unite our society, or a way to continue to divide our society.
I am including a link to a Goerner Brother’s song we wrote called “Light Up” Have a watch and a listen,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrcYJcgAZck
Here are the lyrics:
Light Up
Copyright 2018 Ben Goerner, Karl Goerner
legalize decriminalize
another war with too many lies
over consumption greed and corruption
feed the machine to satisfy our addiction
Light up, light up, light up your soul
Light up light up let’s rock n roll
Occupation colonization
So out of touch with the human nation
We have become so unimportant
We have become senseless and numb
Light up, light up, light up your soul
Light up light up let’s rock n roll
won’t see the future won’t see the answer
when we close our eyes we feed the cancer
don’t lose your voice or give away your choice
Stand up Stand up Let’s make some noise
Light up, light up, light up your soul
Light up light up let’s rock n roll
Resources:
Fowler, H. Ramsey. The Little, Brown Handbook. Boston: Little, Brown, 1986.
Meriam-Webster.com
Frideres, J.s.. “Racism”. The Canadian Encyclopedia, 11 April 2016
Hari, J. (2015). “Chasing the Scream; The First and Last Days of the War On Drugs”. Bloomsbury U.S.A. New York.
Boyd, Susan. Carter, Connie. Macpherson, Donald. “More Harm Than Good: Drug Policy in Canada” Fernwood Publishing, Halifax and Winnipeg. (2016)