When Hate Speech Justifies Killing

by Jim Wallis 06-11-2009

Words have consequences. In the past few weeks, we have seen just how dire those consequences can be. On Sunday, May 31^st, Scott Roeder entered Reformation Lutheran Church of Wichita in Kansas and shot Dr. George Tiller point blank in the head. Yesterday, Stephen T. Johns, a security guard at the Holocaust Memorial Museum opened the door for 88 year old James W. von Brunn. Von Brunn, a white supremacist who ran a Web site to promote his hatred of Blacks and Jews, proceeded to take several steps into the museum when he opened fire with a rifle and killed Officer Johns before he was gunned down by two other security guards.

These two killings, so close together, raise some troubling questions: When does civil disagreement become uncivil discourse? When does that uncivil discourse become hate speech? And when does that hate speech become the framework of justification for people like Scott Roeder and James W. von Brunn to kill?

Those who become suicide bombers, assassinate judges, kill doctors, or open fire on security guards all have a framework of justification in their minds of why what they are doing is not only necessary, but also the right thing to do. Hate speech, whether it is found on fringe Web sites or spouted by radio talk show hosts or cable TV commentators builds an edifice of hatred in the minds of extreme or unsound individuals that leads to their actions.

As Americans, we all cherish our First Amendment Right to the freedom of speech, even if that means we have to hear or allow the expression of views and opinions that horrify us and even the vast majority of people. Government censorship and the abridgment of these rights is not the answer to hate speech. Societal censorship, public outcry, and condemnation of these words is what’s necessary.

I am not normally for the old practice of “shunning,” the practice of deliberately and habitually avoiding association with a group or individual. But these recent events make me think it is time we consider shunning those who propagate the hate speech that provides the framework of justification for these heinous acts. It is time to publically walk away from those who are committing these kinds of social sins and encourage others to do the same.

Jim Wallis is CEO of Sojourners.

Categories: Activism, Faith and Politics, Violence and Nonviolence

WB123

He has absolutely nothing in common with conservatives and a lot in common with Sojo cultists and others on the kook left who rant about zionists, neo cons, Israel, George Bush

prayrer

It isnt love If it is represented in various forms of words.From people who have problems,there is no secret message in fiction type writing.Unless you enjoy dull mystery's....

authorityseo

I not understanding this piece as I feel 99% of society already shuns these groups that participate in hate speech. The 1% will always find their ways if not the media you mentioned than something else

MATHEW2535

thank you Jim for your words, I know what it is like to be a victim onf hate crimes...and we all know who preaches the policies of fear, fiction and nativism. Dobbs, Savage, O'Reilly ...and how about the local AM radio?

It is so sad to see people of "faith" engage in this type of politic of fear ad deception. There is a huge difference between freedom of speech and in yelling fire in a crowded movie theatre and even starting the fire.

Thank God Jim there are people like you and like the ajority of people around the globe, that realize we are all f the same race...the human race and we are all children of God. Peace Enrique, Border Angels San Diego

justintime

Pathetic response, John.
The best you can come up with?

JohnH54

JIT: when this SC guy said this he was roundly crticized by the right.

But you go on and live in that little bubble you have created for yourself.

As is typical with people on the left you continually switch arguments.

justintime

John,

The idiot in South Carolina is a card carrying member of the Republican
Party, elected to public office by a constituency that is obviously not
concerned that their candidate and public servant is a racist who spouts
off with racist hate speech. He may even have been elected just BECAUSE
he traffics in hate speech.
My point is there's an enormous fan base within the Republican Party for
hate speech and hate politics.
Indeed, the GOP has maintained power over the last 30 years by cleverly
manipulating the base emotions of fear and hate among their base.

Fans of GOP hate politics are distributed all around the nation, not
just in South Carolina. Ann Coulter and Jonah Goldberg are among the
many hate entertainers who satisfy this group of GOP haters with a
steady diet of hate speech. GOP haters are not all psychopaths, but,
just like you, they tolerate hate politics as if it doesn't exist.

This same group of GOP hypocritical haters has been screaming for years
that Hollywood sex and violence and violent video games are corrupting
the society and contributing to the prevalence of violence and
immorality in our youth. They protect their children from the reality of
media sex and violence so they won't be corrupted. There's an element of
common sense here. Obviously, GOP haters do believe the media has a
powerful influence on Americans, contrary to your claims that hate
speech doesn't contribute to hate violence.

But this very same hypocritical hater base in the right wing of the
Republican Party will never admit to the reality of hate speech, hate
politics or the influence on sociopathic behavior.
They will never protest when their favorite hate entertainers spew hate
and violent innuendo into the public domain if it's directed towards
their demonized liberal enemies.
Whenever there's another episode of right wing hate violence, GOP haters
will frantically deny any responsibility for the violence.
But whenever the rhetoric is directed towards the right wing of the GOP,
they will scream like wounded eagles.
And that's why right wing hypocritical haters are blamed for right wing
hate violence.

Wake up and connect the dots, John.

JohnH54

JIT: I cannot deny that statements like what that idiot in SC said are made
from time to time. But, no one ever stands by them and it's no different
that what people like you say about conservatives all the time. It's stupid
to say stuff like that, but it's a far cry that a relatively obscure guy in
SC says something and a guy who has been a racist his whole life kills
someone in DC and make the connection. If you are doing that, then you are
stupid.

But I asked you for an example of Jonah Goldberg since YOU brought him up.

justintime

John,

We're eagerly awaiting for you to prove that right wing hate politics does not exist; and therefore right wing hate crimes must be committed by isolated psychopaths who are not influenced by right wing hate politics.

Do you think progressive liberals are stupid?

justintime

The Democratic Party may have inherited a permanent majority by dint of GOP overreach and incompetence of governance, which Americans have soundly rejected.

Most Democrats are not happy with this state of affairs, however.
We recognize that a healthy democratic society requires at least two vital political parties for success.
The GOP in it's present state does not qualify as a vital competent party of opposition and most honorable Republicans have abandoned it.
If I knew what to do I would help honorable Republicans take their party back from the incompetent extremists.

justontime

"unitary executive" "politicization of the U.S. Department of Justice" "illegal wiretaps" Scary words... But "authoritarian coup?"

People who live under truly authoritarian regimes would either laugh or cry at justintime's rhetoric.

I heard the Democrats also want to have a permanent majority. Booga Booga... Scary.

justintime

Apparently, in spite of his vast knowledge of the history of authoritarian regimes, justontime is oblivious to the fact that America narrowly escaped an authoritarian coup.

Has he never heard of the GOP plot to impose a permanent Republican majority on American politics?
Is he unaware of the Bush administration's attempt to trash the United States Constitution using the bogus theory of the "unitary executive"?
Is he unaware of the Bush administration's politicization of the US Department of Justice?
Is he unaware of the Bush administration's widespread, indiscriminate use of illegal wiretaps to spy on American citizens?

Justontime should cut back a little on his history obsession and wake up to the here and the now.

justintime

I don't listen to right-wing talk radio, jot.
Do you?
I don't listen to talk radio, right or left and I don't watch tee vee either.
I read examples of hate speech on the internet, gleaned by people who do monitor right wing talk radio.
I also read accounts of hate crimes, committed by sociopathic right wingers, acting on hate speech emanating from the usual sources.
Anyone living through the calamitous Bush years has been exposed ad nauseum to hate politics.
It doesn't take a genius to connect the dots.

WB123

Liberation theology and his concern about them (joos) neo cons and Zionists is what Wallis admires about Rev. Wright. Wallis is part of the fringe where the far left meets the kook right. That means many of the things the shooter ranted about sounds like Rev. Wallis. He hated George Bush, Fox news, Zionism, Neo Cons and conservatives. That is just the condensed list.

justintime

There are plenty of examples of hate speech and racist hate politics out there for you to work with in your attempt to deny their existence -- some examples have already been offered on this very thread.
Work with what you already have, John, and prove to us that hate speech and hate politics are non existent.
If you're tone deaf to hate speech and blind to hate politics, then providing you with more examples would be just a waste of time.

Demonstrate your argumentative skills with Scat's example, provided above on this thread:

How about the racist and disgusting comments by S.Carolina Republican DePass about Michelle Obama resembling a gorilla?

justontime

Apparently justintime has no idea what truly authoritarian rule looks like.

People who live under authoritarian regimes would either laugh or cry at justintime's rhetoric.

Read more history; less DailyKos.

justontime

justintime sure listens to a lot of right-wing talk radio.

Maybe that's why he's so crass. Either that or the Olberman/Coulter intake.

Perhaps justintime should cut back on his right-wing talk radio.

JohnH54

Well that is certainly raising the quality of discourse -sarcasm-

Look, if you can't provide an example, then don't. We can accept that but
know that giving me a list of names without a specific example, say Jonah
Goldberg, is a non-response.

justintime

If you're tone deaf to racist hate politics, then racist hate politics doesn't exist for you.

But if you're a sociopath, racist hate politics is just what you're looking for.

justintime

It's impossible to ignore the catastrophic consequences of the last 8 years of incompetent authoritarian rule by an extreme right wing government.
Unless you're a thoroughly brainwashed Republican.

JohnH54

I knew you couldn't

justontime

justintime ignores the fact that every ideology can and has been taken to extremes.

justintime needs to get off his high horse and out of the left-wing noise machine.

justintime

Give me an example of racist hate politics.

Just tune in to Michael Savage, Michael Reagan, Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, or 'Pigboy' Limbaugh any day of the week and, if you have a functioning pair of ears, you will be exposed to racist hate politics.
Archived sermons by Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, John Hagee and others will also get you into the mood of racist hate politics.
Or, if you're tone deaf, you could read books by Ann Coulter, Jonah Goldberg and many others for good examples of racist hate politics.

And please don't ask this question again.