Sort of, but what about the mindless thuggery (of which there still seems to be plenty)? People who smack someone in the mouth because he's looked at them funny, or 'disrespected them' (normally that means not let them walk all over him), or just because they're pissed and it's Saturday night and they fancy a row?

I can see how attacking someone for a reason such as race or sexuality is more severe than a specific reason like a perceived sleight, but surely attacking someone for no reason at all is even more severe than that? Yet those types seem to be left alone until they do some real damage to someone

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Edited by wordup (22 Aug 2017 3.28pm)

What about the right of free speech to restrict the legal rights of other citizens, based on false information - i.e. lies.

For example, should it be legal to say that gays are paedophiles in support of political agendas aimed at shutting down gay rights? Like the Aussie propaganda doing the rounds claiming 92% of children of gay parents are abused?

Now I don't think that's a hate crime per se, but its such a blatant abuse of free speech to promote a agenda that's linked to hate crime against a minority.

Personally, I think people who believe that speech can truly be free, tend to be clinging to a naïve ideology based on the misbelief that people won't just use it as a means of attacking other peoples rights.

Kind of like how the far right, who most certainly don't believe in free speech, use it to just stay within the law whilst promoting agendas aimed at minority groups they know don't have the capacity to reply.

Take Alex Jones, he can spew all manner of false, malicious and dangerous nonsense that feeds into the 'alt-right' and far right paranoia - and there is no counter-point available - its just manufactured content to appeal specifically to a demographic - little more than propaganda that isn't even available to the mainstream.

The right to free speech, is a nice idea, and its great if your white, straight and male, because it isn't really ever going to be used as a means of inciting 'covert hate' against you.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]

Arguably such people are a different kind of problem - but if you keep doing it, in theory, your past crimes will result in longer sentences.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]

You clearly haven't dated the same sort of women I have