Peter A. Purdon
Ppurdo1632@my.sullivan.edu
CSC302X - Social, Legal and Ethical Issues in Computing
Connie Eyle, Instructor
Abstract
Foreign hate groups are using America’s servers to circumvent their countries restrictions. As a responsible international citizen, America should revise our policies to allow the restriction of this right as applied to non-American groups hosting their message in our country. The constitution allows for the freedom of speech to all our citizens but does not specify this right being extended to those who do not reside or live here. The constitution was designed to protect us from tyranny and abuse by government and dictators. Our policies need to protect us from those that would slander a segment or our population. Foreign hate groups direct their views to those protected by the same document that affords them their right to post.
Freedom of Speech: Abused from Abroad
The first amendment protects the rights of Americans to have free speech even if that speech is hate speech but it should not be used to protect foreign hate speech just because it is hosted on an American server. The First Amendment really does distinguish the U.S., not just from Canada but from the rest of the Western world. (Liptak, 2008) Given the nearly unanimous international institution of regulations restricting online hate speech, the United States stands alone in its support of free speech—including Internet hate speech. (Breckheimer, 2011) These are good examples of our first amendment and how it is perceived across the globe. We are known for our liberal view of free speech protections and based on our history of oppression by monarchs and the purpose for us to seek a new land to call our own it fits our nation well to have such an amendment in place to protect the rights of our citizens.
I feel that this very right is being abused by foreign hate groups who not only direct their rhetoric towards others in
References: Liptak, A. (2008, June 11). Hate speech or free speech? what much of west bans is protected in u.s.. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/world/americas/11iht-hate.4.13645369.html?pagewanted=all Breckheimer, P. (2011). A haven for hate: the foreign and domestic implications of protecting internet hate speech under the first amendment. Retrieved from http://lawweb.usc.edu/why/students/orgs/lawreview/documents/Breckheimer_Peter_75_6.pdf Anti-Defamation League. (2000). Combating extremism in cyberspace. Retrieved from http://www.adl.org/civil_rights/newcyber.pdf Kang, C. (2009, November 23). Obama 's deputy technology officer mclaughlin: Free speech is net-neutrality foreign policy. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2009/11/obama_deputy_technology_office.html Przybylski, P. (2011). A common tool for individual. Unpublished manuscript, Law, Vanderbuilt, Nashville, Tennesee. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=foreign hate speech hosted on us servers&source=web&cd=10&ved=0CGkQFjAJ&url=http://law.vanderbilt.edu/publications/journal-entertainment-technology-law/archive/download.aspx?id=2408&ei=p6LFTozXL6nb0QGYrNGaDw&usg=AFQjCNHDTfa-QfNQxt0fgOf_oym7cr2YGA