Hate speech going too far

By: Shauna Agan

While doing research for another class, I learned about a court case involving the Westboro Baptist Church. This church is famously known for protesting certain events and relaying the message that God hates homosexuals and because of homosexuals the world is cursed.

Because of the First Amendment rights in the U.S. Constitution, media is allowed to speak out and express their opinion openly. The Internet has been a convenient source for media to relay their message to the public.

This is why sights such as that of the Westboro Baptist Church titled godhatesfags.com and godhatesamerica.com are legal in the U.S. On the reverse side, there are also sights out there such as godhatesfredphelps.com where people on the opposite end express their feelings about Fred Phelps, the leader of this church group.

There are also many other Internet Web sites promoting hate towards individuals, organizations, or items of interest. With the Millenial Age group of people, more and more Internet sights are being made for this reason.

Should these sights be allowed?

These groups and individuals have the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, so under the U.S. Constitution they are definitely allowed to express their opinions. However, where does the line get drawn so the Internet is not just a means to promote hatred towards different groups?

The Internet is a great source of media. However, soon it is going to be used only as a means to legally discriminate against people rather than for news and information to be received.

I believe that the Internet should be regulated more so Web sites such as these are monitored and used as news rather than a way to promote hatred.