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Hate sites raise questions about free speech By Tasha Manoranjan Seniors in Diane Haddad's Humanities classes saw "Hate.com" Nov. 5, an HBO special intended to promote diversity, she said. "The video said the Internet is a tool being used to spread hatred," she said. "One example [of this] was that the son of a man with a hate web site had his own white supremist web site for kids. He wanted to make other kids feel the same way he did." The video highlighted eccentricities of Internet hate groups, including the child's hate web site, senior Jocelyn Workman said. "The movie made us think about free speech and what people are legally permitted to say," she said. "The whole movie shocked me, especially the fact that a 9-year-old would have so much hate. He ... hoped other kids would feel the same way and visit his site." Haddad said she showed the video to encourage discussion and awareness regarding hate groups. "I hoped my students would gain awareness of the kinds of hate groups that exist and the extent they go to promote their message," Haddad said. "Lots of students were very surprised." Senior Ryan Wargo said the movie forced him to think about censorship. He decided free speech comes with the inherent danger of letting one say anything one wishes. "Even though I don't agree at all with what the hate groups said, I think they should have the right to say what they want," Wargo said. "It's one of America's founding principles." Haddad also believes hate group sites should not be censored because that would not solve their problem. "I definitely believe in freedom of speech ... I completely disagree with what they say, but I still defend their right to say it," she said. "I don't think we should stop hate groups by censoring them, but instead should eliminate hate with education." Workman, however, said certain information should be censored from the Internet due to possible consequences. "Some child could accidentally click on a site and see something and become violent," she said. "They could think the hate was normal and start believing they were better than other people." Workman said the dangerous possibilities resulting from unlimited information on the Internet raised concerns about future hate crimes. "After seeing the tape, I am definitely more worried about the possibilities from the Internet," she said. "Especially since young kids have the opportunity to go see these sites." * Denotes a name change at source's request |