Free speech vs. hate speech > How the law seems to protect racist rhetoric Katie Czenczek Staff Writer wasnt terribly surprised when Neo- Nazis, white supremacists, and other racist groups came to protest the removal of a statue that commemorated a pro-slave dude, given the current political climate of our neighbours down south. However, my lack of initial shock turned into confusion that they were not only there legally, but were even protected by the police when counter- protesters showed up. Though I do not condone violence by counter-protesters, it seemed unreasonable to protect the initial protesters, whom many of which arrived at the protest heavily armed. Canada— despite its racist history that has yet to be properly acknowledged—often appears to be publicly free of the unavoidable presence of groups like the KKK and National Vanguard when compared to the States. This is one of the fundamental differences between Canada and the US. USA protects hate speech while Canada does not publicly condone it. In other words, it seems as though Canadian racists are far less accepted by the community at large, while American racists are allowed to spew their hate loud and proud. The events that took place in Charlottesville beg the question: To what extent should hate speech be protected under the guise of freedom of speech? Is it more dangerous to allow people to rally together and target a group of people, or is it more dangerous to allow the government to dictate what “hate speech” is, and who can say it? Personally, I can see valid arguments for both sides of the free speech debate. By not allowing hate speech to be promoted publicly, it weakens a hate group’s ability to gain traction and thus renders them less likely to rise up and start slaughtering the people they hate. The differentiation between hate speech from freedom of speech makes it clear that hate speech and the violence that follows it has no place in the public sphere. That hate speech in fact does nothing to contribute to society and is thus unacceptable to preach in public. This probably arose out of fear that there would be another Nazi Germany—with a charismatic leader who only initially used words to incite hatred in the CT . o Veen Te :NpREM a hearts of everyday people. In this way, the limitation on organized public hate speech makes sense as it still allows for individual people to be as hateful in their words as they wish, but does not allow racists to rally together and call for the destruction of whichever group they have decided to pick on this decade. The danger of limiting free speech, however, is that it becomes a similarly horrible situation where groups can manipulate the law in order to impose what they consider “hate speech” on everyone else. This, in comparison, can lead to situations like in North Korea where people cannot act out against their government for fear of Me SMASH : WHITE aT it i with a z photo via CNN.com punishment or death. Moreover, though at times not allowing racists to have a public platform does lessen the power of these groups, it can also do the opposite. By silencing speakers of hate you not only make people more curious to hear what they have to say, but it causes people who normally would not be inclined to follow a horde of racists to overlook their racism in order to be there “in the name of free speech.” Overall, this debate becomes a matter of picking the shiniest turd, and can only really be answered depending on whether or not one trusts their country’s government or its people more. ‘Feminist AF’ shirts are not very feminist > They are part of the problem, not the solution Jessica Berget Opinions Editor Yr see them in almost every clothing store. You know the one: The plain white t-shirt with the black, bolded words printed across the chest, “feminist AF” or other slogans like “girl power” and “we should all be feminists” being sold for $29.99. The commercialization of feminism is both a positive and an awful thing. On the one hand, it gets the message out and it gives the word “feminist” a more accepting and positive connotation. What was once seen as a bad word is now proudly printed on t-shirts in almost every young adult clothing store. On the other hand, it trivializes the very movement it claims to be supporting. The unfortunate irony behind these feminist shirts is that many of them are being produced by mainly female factory workers in third world countries. These workers are often subject to abusive and exploitative conditions, and are paid practically nothing for hours of labour so the company can make a profit. The shirt claims to be for the equal rights of women “AF” but instead reinforces a cycle of inequality for women in third world countries, which goes against everything feminism stands for. If § feminism means fighting for equal rights, shouldn't that include the people making the shirts? Feminism has become somewhat of a fashion trend recently and these shirts are a testament to that. Instagram has been abundant with pictures of celebrities and models wearing these shirts ever since the Women’s March on Washington and now it appears everyone either & wanits one or already has one. But by turning feminism into a fashion statement, it dilutes the its true meaning and people are less inclined to take it seriously. It also contributes to the corporations that use cheap labour to make these shirts. Trends come and go but feminism is much more than just a fashion phase, it is an important political statement that should not be diminished to just a slogan on a t-shirt. Wearing these shirts just because everyone happens to have one right now makes the word lose its meaning and goes against everything the feminist movement stands for. I understand that some people actually want to show their support for the movement, but there are better ways to do it than buying a shirt witha Photo by Craig Hibbert feminist slogan on it from a corporation that capitalizes on feminism as a trend. It contradicts the very meaning of it. If you really want to showcase your feminism with your clothing, more power to you, but buy from local and sweatshop-free clothing stores, or, even better, make your own.