FREEDOM OF HATE SPEECH?

Dear friends:  This is an article written by Kathy Lipscomb, examining the dilemma of hate speech.  Kathy is a friend, neighbor and totally committed activist for neighborhood issues and, obviously, broader causes.  Heartfelt thanks, Kathy, for examining this very difficult and confusing issue in such a thoughtful way.  

Here it is:

"New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, in a historic speech explaining the removal of Civil War statues from his city in May, said, “The Confederacy was on the wrong side of history and humanity.” Last week, fierce right-wing forces brandishing Nazi regalia took a life and injured 19 people. They didn’t absorb Landrieu’s message.

Civil libertarians remind us there is almost no hate-speech exemption to the First Amendment. Now, quietly flying under the radar, there is a crackdown on such speech. U.S. social media companies operating in Germany face fines of as much as $58 million if they fail to delete illegal, racist or slanderous comments and posts after a law prohibiting such messaging passed in June.

For months, Facebook, Google, Twitter and others dragged their feet in screening such content, but now have come to their bottom-line senses. They will no longer post Nazi symbols, Holocaust denial commentary, clearly inflammatory speech or incitement to violence.

Facebook announced that it would nearly double to 7,500 the number of employees worldwide devoted to clearing its site of flagged material. Facebook and Google are taking steps even in the United States to limit the spread of extreme messaging. Kudos to Google for having separated an engineer from his employment for having written and disseminated a “manifesto” stating that women don’t have the biological wiring to do coding.

Germany has some of the most stringent antihate laws in the world: Germans apparently have paid attention to their history. Germany’s justice minister said the new rules that apply offline would be equally enforceable online.

Moreover, the European Union ministers approved a plan this spring that will require social media platforms and online video hosts to block and remove from their platforms hate speech, incitement to hatred and content justifying terrorism.

Canada, Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa, Australia and India all have laws banning hate speech. The U.S. mind-set, deeply rooted in law and culture, has a more individualistic approach. In short: “I’m an American, so I can say what I want.”

Others complain that it would be undemocratic for the government to regulate speech. The Federal Communications Commission for many decades, however, has taken issue with obscene, indecent, profane comments and banned them. How ironic that one’s average swear word is verboten on the airways, but ethnic nastiness is not.

In 1983, a New York judge dismissed a libel case brought by several Puerto Rican groups against a business executive who had called food stamps “basically a Puerto Rican program.” How far have we come in 34 years? The 2016 presidential nominee, Donald Trump, labeled Mexican immigrants a bunch of rapists and went on to win the presidency.

Free speech must be defended. However, given the enormous demographic changes in our country, isn’t it time to rethink the public permissive use of hate speech? Would it help our society to advance to make “my freedom” more important than the hatred and disrespect spewed at “the other”? In other words, what about the victims’ freedom to live without fear and insult?

There is evidence of a cultural shift in how hate speech is viewed. The stunning 3 million-person march led by women in pink pussy hats in January had a visceral connection to Trump’s hate speech. Signs in Bay Area windows reading “Hate-free zone” clearly applied to both acts of violence and speech.

Perhaps our growing rainbow nation will dramatically shake up patterns of behavior once found acceptable, and make them, well, totally unacceptable. Would it not be appropriate for us, given our blighted past, to move in the direction of being a kinder, gentler people by finding ways to eventually vanquish hate speech?"

"IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, BREAK GLASS," THE PENCE PROBLEM & OTHER ISSUES

CLICK HERE TO READ TEXT OF 25th AMENDMENT.

POSTCARD WRITING & POLITICAL DISCUSSION 
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 23 7-9:30PM
547 DOUGLASS ST. (betw. 21st & 22nd) in SF

"In case of emergency, break glass." 

These are the words that Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md used in introducing his bill to explore using the 25th Amendment to get rid of Trump.  Twenty-five Democrats have signed on to the bill so far. Let's thank them with postcards. 

BUT GUESS WHO HASN'T SIGNED ON TO THE BILL:  OUR VERY OWN NANCY PELOSI.  In fact...

"For months, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders have privately counseled their more militant members to forswear talk of impeaching President Trump, telling them the political support for such a step simply doesn’t exist in the GOP-controlled Congress."

That's right, folks.  Let's just foreswear doing anything that might make us UNCOMFORTABLE, that might alienate some voter, where we might run the risk of FAILURE.... so awful to fail, isn't it?  So much nicer to passively wait and not take any chances.

Pelosi doesn't understand that we are all being tested.  We are facing a giant moral challenge, every single citizen of this country, and history will judge how we handled this.  

This Op-Ed  by historian Timothy Snyder very powerfully explores the historical implications of Trump's  moral failure and the necessity of us all to rise to the occasion.  Please click to read it.

Quite frankly, it doesn't really matter whether political support exists in Congress at this moment to remove Trump from office.  What matters is what the  American people think.  How many of us want Trump gone?  I'm betting it's a majority, but it's certainly a very large minority.  I'm certain our numbers are larger than the 35% who will follow Trump to Armageddon.

Are we going to do whatever we can to pressure our elected representatives to use their power to remove Trump? THERE ARE CONSTITUTIONAL SOLUTIONS TO THIS PROBLEM AND ONLY CONGRESS CAN USE THE LEVERS OF POWER.  

We might not even have to go to the point of successful political action in Congress.  If you recall, Nixon was never impeached.  HE RESIGNED when it became clear that the country and many Congresspeople passionately wanted him gone.  

The man who wrote The Art of the Deal, who spent a great deal of time with Trump and knows him deeply, believes if there is enough pressure, Trump will resign, that he will not hang on to the bitter end.

BUT PELOSI "AND OTHER DEMOCRATIC LEADERS" DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING TO PRESSURE HIM!

You know what?  History is pretty clear about this:  When evil is ascendant, it's not only morally wrong to do nothing -- it's extremely ineffective!  What's that famous quote?  
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.

We all know that quote, right?  Well, here we are, folks, and Pelosi and the Democratic leaders want Congressional Democrats to DO NOTHING.  But these people were elected to REPESENT US.  That's even the name of their JOB: REPRESENTATIVE.  MAKE YOUR REPRESENTATIVE DO THEIR JOB!  Write, phone, visit their office, organize a protest in front of their office!  Get them to sign Raskin's bill!

THE PENCE PROBLEM
Several people responded to my blog saying they're reluctant to get rid of Trump and end up with Pence who might be a greater evil.  The truth is, we do not know the future.  Maybe Pence will resign too!   Let's start with the immediate issue, which is that we have a mentally unstable vicious person who seems to be interested in nuclear war as President.  If we get rid of Trump by exercising political pressure, we will be in a position of strength to deal with Pence.  

In conclusion, I want to show you a photo I took at the Suffragist Parade in Rochester, NY, celebrating the 100th anniversary of women getting the vote in New York State.  These children are dressed as Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony:

You see, Susan B. was famous for wearing a red shawl whenever she went to lobby Congress to give women the vote.  Apparently, she didn't lobby year-round, because people in D.C. used to say, "It must be Spring because I saw Miss Anthony in her red shawl today."  The Suffragists never gave up.  Don't you think these children deserve a Trump-free world?  Am I getting corny now?  I guess so.  Better stop.

Terry

IT'S TIME FOR THE 25TH AMENDMENT.

I MUST ADMIT THINGS ARE JUST A TAD SCARY BECAUSE NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE A PRESIDENT BEREFT OF EITHER DECENCY OR COMMON SENSE, BUT.....A FULL THIRTY-FIVE PERCENT (!??!!!!!) OF THE PEOPLE ARE WITH TRUMP NO MATTER WHAT HE DOES! AND THEY'RE THE ONES WITH THE GUNS.  OOPS. NEVERTHELESS, WE MUST ACT.

READ BELOW THE RELEVANT SECTION OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION.

25TH AMENDMENT

Section 4.

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

FOLKS, ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT, WE ARE DEPENDENT ON THIS REPUBLICAN CONGRESS TO GET RID OF THE WORST PRESIDENT EVER.  AND WE THOUGHT WE HIT BOTTOM WITH DUBYA.  LITTLE DID WE KNOW....

I DON'T THINK WE CAN WAIT FOR IMPEACHMENT.  THAT MEANS INVESTIGATING A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF.  I THINK IT IS CLEAR TO THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS THAT the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.

BUT FIRST, WE HAVE TO GET THE DEMOCRATS TO STAND UP ON THEIR HIND LEGS AND DEMAND THAT THE CONGRESS AND THE VICE PRESIDENT GET RID OF THIS MOST DISASTROUS PRESIDENT.  HELLO??  NANCY PELOSI, ARE YOU THERE? 

CITIZENS OF SAN FRANCISCO!  WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY HERE!  OUR CONGRESSWOMAN IS VERY POWERFUL!  WHEN BUSH WAS PRESIDENT, SHE PREVENTED HIS IMPEACHMENT.  YES, THIS IS HISTORICALLY UNDENIABLE.  WE MUST DEMAND THAT SHE TAKE THE MOST POWERFUL MEASURES POSSIBLE TO KEEP THIS COUNTRY FROM DESCENDING INTY TYRANNY OR THE WHOLE WORLD BEING DESTROYED IN A NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST!

WHAT IS TO BE DONE?

EVERYONE WHO READS THIS BLOG, PLEASE DO WHAT YOU CAN TO PRESSURE YOUR CONGRESSPERSON TO GET RID OF THE PRESIDENT.  

PERSONALLY, AS MOST OF YOU ALREADY KNOW, I'M A BIG FAN OF HAND-WRITTEN PICTURE POSTCARDS TO ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES.  I'M HAVING A POSTCARD-WRITING PARTY EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. EVERYONE IS INVITED.  AND WHEN WE'RE DONE WRITING TO OUR OWN REPRESENTATIVES, WE'LL WRITE TO THE OTHER DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS FROM CALIFORNIA.  AND WHEN WE'RE DONE WITH THAT WE'LL WRITE TO THE REPUBLICANS.

WEDNESDAYS 7-10PM

547 DOUGLASS ST., BETWEEN 21ST AND 22ND ST. 

I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULDN'T DEMONSTRATE TOO.  BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REACH OUT TO OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES AND HOLD THEM RESPONSIBLE.  AND IF YOUR REPRESENTATIVE DOESN'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT YOU THINK, THEN LET'S ELECT SOMEONE ELSE  IN 2018.  I MEAN IT.  I'M THROWING MY HAT IN THE RING AGAINST PELOSI UNLESS SHE COMES THROUGH FOR US.  I RAN AGAINST HER IN 2004 BECAUSE OF HER SUPPORT FOR THE INVASION OF IRAQ.  NANCY, YOU HAVE A LOT OF POWER.  USE IT! 

WE NEED TO LOBBY OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES.  EVERYONE HAS THREE OF THOSE!  YOUR VERY OWN CONGRESSPERSON AND YOUR TWO SENATORS.  WE NEED TO WRITE THEM AND GO TO THEIR OFFICES, IN THEIR DISTRICT AND IN WASHINGTON.  WE NEED TO GO TO WASHINGTON TO TALK TO REPRESENTATIVES THERE AND TO DEMONSTRATE OUTSIDE CONGRESS.

IT'S TIME TO FOCUS ON CONSTITUTIONALLY REMOVING DONALD JOHN TRUMP FROM OFFICE.