This also hinders free and uncensored discussion on controversial topics.

criticism (of a faith, opinion, or lifestyle) will be viewed as something traumatic and harmful and often misused to avoid debate or worst yet to be used as grounds for punishment for critics.

Debate is essential to searching for the truth, and hate speech codes interfere with this
by silencing discussion from the very start;censorship.

People should be confronted with perspectives they can find repulsive, as it will help strengthen their own arguments and ultimately achieve a more sturdy, well-rounded understanding of the issue.

Whatever hate there is will still be there just hidden beneath a veil of deceit.

Hate speech legislation does not deal with bullying either as most bullies like to portray themselves as innocent little angels , and to accuse them of being a bully would turn the victim into the criminal. Also there is already Speech Codes in schools and private places already.

I believe people can say anything they want to as long as they do not physically harm me or encourage others to harm me or impede me from making an honest living because of their prejudice.

If you feel you are being harassed there is such a thing as a restraining order.
You don’t need to have a lawyer , but consult one.

I don’t see the benefits of limiting Free Speech , if we start here where will it end?
Let me give you examples. Some people are offended by the word BLACK you cannot call them black or anything of theirs black even thought they are. They can argue racial discrimination , as they view the word black as negative.Don’t get me started about the N word.

Then in a case where there is a warning sign “Trespassers will be shot or electrocuted” , could be interpreted as hate speech.

Then there was a case of an office worker in America “where public speech codes are illegal by the way and private ones being fought on the grounds of uncontitutionalism and censorship) , this office worker put up an american flag in her office for the 4th of july , independance day. A black Nigerian co-worker complained about it as he found it offensive citing America’s history of imperialism and slavery.The flag was taken down. It was later put back up after the lady complained to her union but the very fact she , an American was made to take down the American Flag on her country’s independance day is a testament to the absurdity of Hate Speech legislation.

Certain comments have hit the nail right on the head by pointing out that there is a difference between freedom of speech and bullying. The first is essential in any democratic society, otherwise the society doesn’t function as it should. The second is unacceptable in any circumstances and for any reason.

Personally, I find is very sad that any 11 year old for any reason (in this specific case, homosexuality) finds it preferable to kill himself rather than face the strictures of the society in which he lives, especially as if he lived in other societies like Europe and North America, there are infrastructures in place to assist him to live, cope and function.

It is equally sad that a percieved homosexual leaning in an 11 year old who would probably have ended up as a heterosexual adult evoked this bullying that led to him taking his own life. The fault in this case has got to be that of the parents of the children doing the bullying. It is their bigotry and incitement that led to the bullying. Manslaughter as a criminal charge against the parents of the children doing the bullying springs to mind.

Hate crime legislation exists in most societies and so it ought to in Barbados.

As far as the holy rollers are concerned, personally I have a strong religeous ethic in spite of the organized religeons to which I, as a child, was exposed. I firmly believe that organized religeons, far from revealing God, obscures God. After all, if we all believed that we have the indivdual right to approach an all-knowing, all-seeing God, all-loving God, without the intercession of some organization-appointed “expert”, where would they be? They have a vested interest in obscuring God and fortunately some people have seen through the smoke-screen. All we need to make these practitioners of organized religeon irrelevant is love, understanding, tolerance and the acceptance of universal brotherhood. Strive towards these and some extremely valuable real estate would come on the market and our purses would be considerably heavier come every Sunday.

Chris is wrong.

When I think about hate speech, I think calling somebody a fa**got, nig*er – inflaming public opinion against people based on sex, gender, race, etc. Like what happened with this Carl Walker boy. Hate speech legislation shouldn’t (and doesn’t) take away the right of people or the church to have their opinion but it must draw the line at verbal harrassment and defamation.

To: Raggamuffin

I agree with you. People who bully tend to be all of what you described, and have horrible, disgusting character traits. I have never been physically or verbally bullied or know anyone who has been but I just know I couldn’t do it, and I don’t know what type of person that would.

As many have now accepted for many things, never say that ‘it cannot happen here’.

Bullying was commonplace when I went to school and what it taught me was who was not a friend, not in a childish way, but in a full and real way.

If someone commences to bully you, they are either jealous, have a personal grudge or are just plain unhappy with their own life and nasty to boot.

Why on earth would you want to be around that person. Yes, avoid them.

I personally could not be bullied physically, but then persons resorted to verbal abuse.

Probably I could have retaliated, then I would have been accused of being the bully and a troublemaker.

No, what it taught me was to ignore the fools, and now in business I will never give any of those perons any credence or assistance if they cross my path.

So, I moved on, but those who bully also face consequences, if much later in life.

Do you honestly think that I would assist giving such persons selection in a job position, if I am party to such selection, when I already know their ‘personality’ and do not like the traits?

I agree that there needs to be legislation, but unfortunately, legislation will rely on evidence i.e. teachers and other students, to be enforced, unless one is willing to use electronic surveillance to support one’s case.

Therefore, legislation may not have the teeth required to stop the practice.

Bullying is actually a behaviour, reflective of our society, of jealousies, of hatreds and bigotry as per the wider society.

But, if nothing else, legislation is better than nothing.