Proposed Florida "Hate Speech" Bill Would Put Free-speech Rights at Risk

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Proposed Florida “Hate Speech” Bill Would Put Free-speech Rights at Risk


The New American
March 27, 2023


Florida State Representative Mike Caruso (R-87) introduced a new bill on January 19 that would impose harsh penalties for those who distribute flyers that contribute to littering, interfere with a person based on his religious garments, or project images onto buildings without the owner’s consent. This bill was introduced after Florida saw flyers and banners with claims against Jewish people.

Caruso announced the filing of the new bill during a news conference on January 26. He stated, “anti-Semitism and hate have no place in Florida and that’s why I’m proud to announce HB 269 which targets and deals with these acts of hate.” Co-sponsor Randy Fine (R–33) told Spectrum News, “While you have a right to free speech, when your speech enters conduct that is illegal — littering, violence, trespassing, graffiti — we’re going to hold you accountable.” The bill contains five sections and outlines what actions could be charged as a third-degree felony if the bill is signed into law.

The bill states that if a person distributes flyers or other materials in a public place and the materials lead to littering, the person who distributed the material is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree. However, if the material evidences “religious or ethnic animus,” then the offense is reclassified as a felony of the third degree and considered a hate crime.

Section 2 of the bill makes it a hate crime — a felony of the third degree — to willfully follow, harass, or interfere with another person based “on the person’s wearing of religious-based garments or garments associated with a particular religious or ethnic group or any other indicia of any religious or ethnic heritage.”

The bill also includes penalties for any person who defaces, injures, or damages any place, public or private that has religious or ethnic heritage. A violation of the section includes any “physical manifestations of anti-Semitism directed toward a Jewish or non-Jewish individual,” including the display of Swastikas. The above is considered a hate crime and punishable as a third-degree felony.

During the news conference, Caruso remarked that the new bill would make projecting images onto buildings illegal without the consent of the owner. He stated, “We’re going to make it against the law to project onto somebody else’s building. Its graffiti of a type but just of a new technology so we’re rolling with the times.” This bill would make it a misdemeanor of the first degree. However, like the flyers, the content of the image is relevant to the severity of the punishment. If the image projected evidences “religious or ethnic animus” then it is a felony of the third degree and considered a hate crime.

The fourth section of the bill states that any person who “willfully interrupts or disturbs any school or any assembly of people met for the worship of God, any assembly of people for the purpose of acknowledging the death of an individual, or for any other lawful purpose” commits a misdemeanor of the second degree. However, if a person evidences “religious or ethnic animus” then the offense is reclassified as a felony of the third degree.

There is a lot to unpack in this bill; however, what it comes down to is an attack on the First Amendment. The bill was created as a reaction to speech on flyers and banners that politicians and the media have denounced. Freedom of speech should apply to all speech, not just speech that is approved and perpetuated by the media and popular culture.

The fact that the bill holds those who distribute literature accountable for littering is also problematic. Many things are thrown onto people’s property, including newspapers, however it is the recipients who are responsible for discarding these materials. This bill will make flyers, pamphlets, and other materials now the fault of the distributor if these items are discarded by the recipients and leads to littering. Another major fault of the bill is the vague terms, which leaves the bill open to abuse. Who gets to define hate literature? What does “religious and ethnic animus” and “physical manifestations of anti-Semitism” consist of?

Another bill passed in the Georgia House defines anti-Semitism so that it could be included under Georgia’s hate crimes laws. As flyers are found in counties around the state, police chief Billy Grogan at the Dunwoody City Council meeting stated that “the distribution of the flyers is protected under free speech.” He added, “Lots of things are thrown in people’s yards, and we cannot enforce one because we don’t like the content and not enforce the other.” However, the new bill is described in a Georgia Public Broadcasting article as a potential “game-changer” in prosecuting people distributing these flyers.

It is clear that Florida HB 269 poses a direct threat to the First Amendment right to free speech. The bill outlines many cases in which the severity of the punishment is tied to the nature of the speech. Distributing flyers that become litter is a misdemeanor of the first degree; however, when the flyers contain “religious or ethnic animus” the offense is a felony of the third degree. Under this bill, non-violent expressions of speech are directly under attack as the content of speech is targeted.

While offensive speech against any religious or cultural group is immoral and distasteful, and should be condemned, classifying certain speech or behaviors as “hate speech” and attaching harsher penalties to such actions is a slippery slope. For instance, who decides what is “hate speech”? And is offensive speech “hate speech” when directed against certain groups, but not when directed against others? Once the government is able to restrict speech, for any reason, where will it stop? It’s a proverbial “foot in the door.” No matter how offensive or hurtful the content is, free speech should not be curtailed. If acts of violence are carried out, those acts are already punishable under the law.

Florida HB 269 is currently in the House Judiciary Committee and, if passed, will come into effect on October 1, 2023.
 
I don't know much about the bill's author but I feel like these bills proposed by republicans (like the criticism of politicians bill) are just there to try to bait republicans.

This one is a no win, and it was foolish to introduce it.

On a principled basis, it should be opposed. However, that would REALLY be testing the limits of how much Florida republicans understand freedom of speech, and my guess is there would be just enough of them to turn against DeSantis if he vetoed it, especially with the MSM campaign that would be waged against him if he vetoes it.

Then again, he might just sign it without reservation, indicating that maybe he doesn't understand freedom of speech. Really it needlessly puts him in a tight spot, which makes me wonder if that isn't the very intent.

Practically speaking, this seems like a law just for the sake of making a law.

If it is littering, fine them for littering.
If it is violence, charge them with assault.
If it is graffiti, charge them with graffiti (just how common is it though, that someone 'projects' an offensive symbol onto someone else's property? you guys playing with the bat signal down there in Florida?)
etc. etc.
 
It actually happens a lot in Florida for some reason. Somebody dumped those anti-Jewish flyers in my neighborhood a few weeks ago. They threw them in lawns and on driveways. They didn't get my street, but did several nearby. I would think exisiting littering laws would deal with anyone caught in the act or postal regulations if caught putting them in mailboxes.

The projecting on private buildings probably should be against the law.

So will they be as offended if there were anti-muslim flyers or women in Burkas get harrased?
 
These flyers are done by zionists and jews themselves.


He told police he was stabbed for being Jewish. Then his Apple Watch caught him in a lie.



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https://www.freep.com/story/news/lo...2/jewish-west-bloomfield-stabbing/2794511001/

He later admitted it.
 
These two students were caught red-handed by pigs circulating "hate" literature. They even admitted it, and then tried to play it off.

At one point, police records say, Bleier wrote a statement in Burton’s office claiming responsibility for the flier left on the door of a female student February 5. He also owned up to responsibility for some cards containing the word “niggermania.”

“I printed out a page of racist ‘niggermania’ cards to show to friends as a joke/for the shock value,” he allegedly wrote, adding that he had somehow accidently left them sitting in a lounge on campus.

“Matt Alden and I made a giant Nazi flag as a joke to troll people and put it up in the science center,” Bleier also confessed, the police report says.


https://dailycaller.com/2013/08/22/...kids-who-perpetrated-cruel-oberlin-race-hoax/
 
This one is hilarious. The jew student admitted painting swastikas on her own door. The local news called this a "surprising development." :rolleyes:


Jewish student caught painting Swastikas on her own door then claiming Anti-Semitic Attack

 
And on, and on, and on.

These dirtbags usually claims the perp was under duress and needs mental help. The dumbass public believes it, so it'll continue to go on, and on, and on.

Zionists are scum.
 
Practically speaking, this seems like a law just for the sake of making a law.

Once the basics are covered (murder, rape, theft, assault/battery, etc.), every law is either:
(1) for the sake of increasing the power & wealth of oneself, one's political faction, and/or one's cronies, or
(2) "just for the sake of making a law". [1]

Lawmakers gonna make laws. It's right there in the job title.

Liberty and legislatures cannot coexist.



[1] Remember how Ron Paul was often dismissed and derided as a "failure" merely because he never got any new laws passed?
 
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