Hey buddy! Got change for a dime?

The following text is from one of the 30 plus pieces of legislation relating to the Holocaust that have been or are now being processed by the 104th Congress. A quiet movement continues to make politically incorrect speech a crime in this country, as it is now not only in despotic nations such as China, but also in most of Europe, Australia and Canada, to name only the major players on a rapidly growing list. Hiding behind the high-sounding shield of “combatting hate,” well organized and powerful Jewish activist organizations (such as AIPAC, ADL, WJC, and SWC) seek legal protection for their agendas. If this continues unopposed, then the near sacred right to criticize the government in this country will be curtailed. Legitimate and accurate criticisms of governmental actions supportive of Israel or Jewish domestic special interests for being contrary to both the welfare of the United States and contrary to common human decency will be punishable by imprisonment for “fomenting hate.” The thought police will have finally arrived, and Orwell's predictions will descend on us. The first step in the establishment of tyrrany is suppression of free speech.

“Hate” is an excellent buzzword and rallying cry for this repressive activity, which bears more than a little resemblance to what it purports to oppose. Who defines what constitutes hate? Who dares to proclaim themselves a reader of men's minds? Incredibly, some educated people do. No less an authoritative source than the Law School Library of Harvard University now advertises on the Web that “hate” activities include the dissemination of false information about the nebulous and politically charged discipline known as history for the (arbitrarily assumed) purpose of inciting hatred toward or causing pain to an identifiable ethnic group.

Criticism is inevitably painful to the recipient. This is an elemental facet and fact of human psychology, it is the nature of the ego-directed beast that we are. By Harvard's definition then, all criticism should be deemed a hate activity, causing as it surely does pain to members of any ethnic group to whom it is directed or applies, whether it be valid criticism or silliness of whatever dark or light stripe. Standup comics may assume the roles of a modern equivalent of highwaymen; constrained to practice their profession as fools to the royal court of humanity by throwing open windows at public gatherings, shouting an ethnic joke to the startled group inside, then leaping onto their mounts to disappear into the night, a long scarf streaming from their dashing neck as prophetic illustration of their fate should the offended mob catch up. The fool's function was to keep the infallible king from getting too full of himself by expressing painful truths in a personally and socially acceptable venue. Mankind is in need of this service as well. Some parts of mankind in particular.

Levity aside, this is a chilling affront to the concepts of free speech and open academic inquiry's tap root, critical review. It should be opposed by all who care about America's founding principles of individual liberty. “We hold these truths to be self evident” cannot be appended to say, “with the exception of any that might cause affront to a legally identified ethnic group by disagreeing with their opinions.” Freedom falls by the wayside when social dogma is rendered inviolable under penalty of law. This would be a re-establishment of the climate that resulted in mass persecutions of critics dubbed heretics when the church had a literal death grip on the scales of justice and the spectre of the Inquisition walked abroad, meting out death and torture to non-believers.

A belief does not have to be correct in order to be the inalienable and inviolable property of the person in whose mind it resides, and expressions of belief should never be suppressed or hindered in any way beyond guaranteeing the right of all to express opposing points of view. This is the essence of free discourse, and, by extension, of a free society. If ever insults, ignorance, stupidity and a host of related universal human failings become crimes, then all men must be deemed criminals, for who among us can profess to be without some element of these sins? What man can present himself as being above the human condition? None but the True Believer. Problem here is summed up in some wit's comment about religious dogma–“There are no less than 200 varieties of the One True Faith, each willing to kill you if necessary to convince you of the rightness of their cause and extend thereby the love of God that inures only within its confines.”

This country has operated in an effective manner, providing an atmosphere of personal freedom in league with civil and social harmony for its citizens for over 200 years with no legally sanctioned sacred cows. Zionism may prove to be the first bloated member of a burgeoning herd of holy bovines who police the thoughts and expressions of the citizens of the United States. Woe be unto us if we allow a gag to be placed over Liberty's mouth, for what quickly follows are shackles on her upraised arm.

To require the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to update its report on hate speech, especially as it relates to hate speech on the Internet, and for other… (Introduced in the House)

104th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 3781

To require the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to update its report on hate speech, especially as it relates to hate speech on the Internet, and for other purposes.

In The House of Representatives

July 10, 1996

Mr. [Dick] ZIMMER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce

A Bill

To require the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to update its report on hate speech, especially as it relates to hate speech on the Internet, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

Section 1. Findings.

The Congress finds the following:

(1) The World Wide Web, a relatively new Internet technology, is attracting a rapidly growing audience. The global nature of the Internet permits the Web to reach a worldwide audience. Web publishing is fairly inexpensive and simple. Its broad reach, low costs and relatively easy-to-master technology have made the World Wide Web an ideal propaganda vehicle for hate and extremist groups.

(2) As computers become less expensive, simpler to use, and consequently more common in American homes, as the barriers to disseminating information through computers falls, bigots of all kinds are rushing to use the power of modern technology to spread their propaganda.

(3) Traditional hate groups have established propaganda sites on the World Wide Web.

(4) Holocaust deniers are also using the Web.

(5) A new type of hater, young and computer literate, has become prominent on the Web. The ease of access creates opportunities for young, previously unknown haters and hate groups, to promote themselves and become active anti-Semitic and racist propagandists. These individuals and groups have, from time to time, used the facilities of both public and private universities.

Sec. 2. Report Update Required.

Section 155 of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(c) FOLLOW-UP REPORT REQUIRED-

(1) CONTENTS OF REPORT- Within 240 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, the NTIA, with the assistance of the Commission, the Department of Justice, and the United States Commission on Civil Rights, shall prepare a report–

(A) analyzing the use of the Internet and other interactive communications media for the dissemination of propaganda advocating hatred on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex;

(B) evaluating the extent to which such propaganda is accessible to minors, and the extent to which software or other measures are available to protect minors from such propaganda; and

(C) including any recommendations that such agencies deem appropriate.

(2) SUBMISSION OF REPORT- The report required by paragraph (1) shall be submitted to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.