Hate Groups and the Internet

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Hate Groups and the Internet

• Jasmine, Lea, Adam, and Mike

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Hate Groups and the Internet

• The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
• -- Thomas Jefferson
• We do not have censorship. What we have is a
  limitation on what newspapers can report.
  
• -- Louis Nel, Deputy Minister of Information,
  South Africa
  
• People demand freedom of speech to make up for
  the freedom of thought which they avoid.
  
• -- Søren Kierkegaard

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Outline

• Legal Background
• Expression Hate Web Sites
• Action Hate Web Sites
• Examples and Conclusion

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Legal Background

• Free speech is often instrumental in bringing
  about social change and righting injustice even
  when in opposition to public opinion.
  
• It does have some legal restrictions which make
  it less than absolute.

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Legal Background

• It is well understood that the right of free
  speech is not absolute at all times and under all
  circumstances. There are certain well-defined and
  narrowly limited classes of speech, the
  prevention and punishment of which have never
  been thought to raise any Constitutional problem.
  These include the lewd and obscene, the profane,
  the libelous, and the insulting or 'fighting'
  words--those which by their very utterance
  inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate
  breach of the peace. It has been well observed
  that such utterances are no essential part of any
  exposition of ideas, and are of such slight
  social value as a step to truth that any benefit
  that may be derived from them is clearly
  outweighed by the social interest in order and
  morality.
• -- Justice Murphy, Decision in Chaplinsky v. New
  Hampshire

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Legal Background

• Fighting words - words which have a direct
  tendency to cause acts of violence by the person
  to whom, individually, the remark is addressed.

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Legal Background

• Fighting words - words which have a direct
  tendency to cause acts of violence by the person
  to whom, individually, the remark is addressed.
  
• That ruling gave the states certain discretion in
  regulating fighting words, but the Court has
  routinely kept the states in check with regard to
  vaguely-worded legislation.

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Legal Background

• Fighting words - words which have a direct
  tendency to cause acts of violence by the person
  to whom, individually, the remark is addressed.
  
• That ruling gave the states certain discretion in
  regulating fighting words, but the Court has
  routinely kept the states in check with regard to
  vaguely-worded legislation.
• Fighting words doctrine in printed or online
  format not well understood, since there is no
  immediacy to their delivery.

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Legal Background

• A second doctrine, clear and present danger,
  can be used to suppress speech which advocates
  illegal action. Proximity and degree are
  important factors in determining if this applies
  to a given situation.

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Legal Background

• A second doctrine, clear and present danger,
  can be used to suppress speech which advocates
  illegal action. Proximity and degree are
  important factors in determining if this applies
  to a given situation.
• This too has been watered down by the Court,
  which has been adamant in its insistence that
  states prove an eminent danger before they are
  allowed to exercise police power.

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Legal Background

• A second doctrine, clear and present danger,
  can be used to suppress speech which advocates
  illegal action. Proximity and degree are
  important factors in determining if this applies
  to a given situation.
• This too has been watered down by the Court,
  which has been adamant in its insistence that
  states prove an eminent danger before they are
  allowed to exercise police power.
• Assuming the threat of a website is immediate
  enough, clear and present danger can be a
  potential tool for anti-hate group advocates.

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Legal Background

• Finally, libel and slander are considered
  restricted forms of speech since they present
  untruths and foster unwarranted social and moral
  conflicts for those attacked.

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Legal Background

• Finally, libel and slander are considered
  restricted forms of speech since they present
  untruths and foster unwarranted social and moral
  conflicts for those attacked.
• In Beauharnais v. Illinois, the Court ruled that
  it can be illegal to defame a class of people,
  although subsequent rulings have essentially
  invalidated that ruling.

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Legal Background

• Finally, libel and slander are considered
  restricted forms of speech since they present
  untruths and foster unwarranted social and moral
  conflicts for those attacked.
• In Beauharnais v. Illinois, the Court ruled that
  it can be illegal to defame a class of people,
  although subsequent rulings have essentially
  invalidated that ruling.
• In Tally v. California, the Court overturned a
  state law requiring publishing information on
  political pamphlets. This would imply a more
  lenient stance on free speech.

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Legal Background

• The legal precedents regarding free speech have
  been inconsistent over time. The Courts go
  through alternating periods of libertarianism and
  strong social conscience.

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Expression Web Sites

• While one can argue that all hate speech has a
  certain degree of malice and purpose, much of it
  is still valid free speech.

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Expression Web Sites

• The individual experience of hate speech is
  entirely subjective, further complicating its
  action/expression status.

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Expression Web Sites
White Aryan Resistance --

• White Separatists - a racist collective that
  believe in the inborn superiority of whites.

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Expression Web Sites
White Aryan Resistance --

• White Separatists - a racist collective that
  believe in the inborn superiority of whites.
  
• Group focuses on subtle actions individuals can
  use to improve the position of the white race,
  and does not necessarily endorse overt acts of
  racism.

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Expression Web Sites
White Aryan Resistance --

• Doesnt embrace traditional ultra-conservative
  viewpoints on religion, nationalism, or violence.

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Expression Web Sites
White Aryan Resistance --

• Doesnt embrace traditional ultra-conservative
  viewpoints on religion, nationalism, or violence.
  
  
• Calls of separation, not slaughter -- Separatists
  want the white race to flourish independently of
  supposedly inferior races.

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Expression Web Sites
Nationalist.org --

• A less creative organization which simply
  espouses all traditional neo-fascist viewpoints
  with little regard for a cohesive ideology.

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Expression Web Sites
Nationalist.org --

• A less creative organization which simply
  espouses all traditional neo-fascist viewpoints
  with little regard for a cohesive ideology.
  
• Seems overly preoccupied with protecting the
  Confederate flag and hailing Mississippi as the
  cradle of free thought.

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Expression Web Sites
Nationalist.org --

• This site presents news articles about subjects
  relevant to racists, going so far as to list
  individuals and groups who stand in the way of
  progress.

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Expression Web Sites
Nationalist.org --

• This site presents news articles about subjects
  relevant to racists, going so far as to list
  individuals and groups who stand in the way of
  progress.
• The lack of violent or suggestive speech on the
  site makes it more an outlet for expression than
  a call for action.

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Action Web Sites

• A disturbing trend in recent websites is the
  targeting of individuals by hate groups, along
  with suggested actions towards them.

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Action Web Sites

• The line between promoting ideology and enabling
  violence is often crossed by these groups.

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Action Web Sites

• The Nuremberg Files --
• An attempt to unite radical elements of the
  anti-abortion movement, and to disseminate
  information about doctors and clinics providing
  abortions.

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Action Web Sites

• The Nuremberg Files --
• An attempt to unite radical elements of the
  anti-abortion movement, and to disseminate
  information about doctors and clinics providing
  abortions.
• The stated goal of the site is to provide
  accountability for crimes against humanity when
  the movement is successful.

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Action Web Sites

• The Nuremberg Files --
• Addresses and phone numbers of listees included,
  resulting in easy harassment by movement
  sympathizers.

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Action Web Sites

• The Nuremberg Files --
• Addresses and phone numbers of listees included,
  resulting in easy harassment by movement
  sympathizers.
  
• In addition, three people on the list were
  murdered and their names consequently crossed
  off, indicating a collaboration between murderers
  and the website.

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Action Web Sites

• The Nuremberg Files --
• Recently the website operator opened a new site.
  This one features live webcams, where radical
  activists situate themselves outside clinics with
  camcorders and broadcast everyone entering or
  leaving the building. This gives would-be
  killers even more vital information.

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Examples

• The Internet complicates free speech even more by
  blurring lines of jurisdiction, ensuring rapid
  dissemination of hate speech, and making
  cause-effect relationships uncertain.
  Furthermore, one has to make an effort to see
  hate speech on the net, which could make the
  viewer technically responsible for their own
  reaction.

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Examples

• Fact Virtually all taxes today are directly, or
  indirectly, used to control and destroy the
  future of our race.
  
• Logic Any program or method that circumvents
  taxes is a White revolutionary act. This even
  applies to tax avoidance by those that you
  perceive as your enemies, who are doing it purely
  for personal financial greedSpread these ideas
  among even your non-racial contacts, since all
  tax avoidance and underground economic activity,
  directly helps our cause. It is easy and it is
  fun! Use your imagination, and start your war
  today.
• - White Aryan
  Resistance

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Examples

• PHILADELPHIA - Proclaiming it the vote to
  re-Americanize America, Richard Barrett hailed
  Mississippi's adoption of the Confederate flag at
  the Liberty Bell on election day. Covered by all
  major, national news media, Barrett termed the
  banner that best-known symbol against communism,
  black-power and what remains of Lyndon Johnson's
  'Great Society.' It even irritates even Japanese
  'businessmen,' but is signaling 'closure' to the
  old Reconstruction and new freedom to America.
• Two-hundred police protected the news conference
  in front of Independence Hall after Nationalists
  had requirements for a million-dollar bond struck
  down. Newspapers nationwide reported Barrett as
  saying, Today, Mississippi's vote rings the
  Liberty Bell. Where are the demands of the
  favored few being denied, the same as we denied
  King George III? Mississippi, Barrett exclaimed,
  as onlookers applauded.
• -
  Nationalist.org

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Examples

• In order to facilitate this effort, you can help
  collect evidence against
  
• 1) Persons who perform abortion (doctors,
  nurses, etc.)
  
• 2) Persons who own or direct abortion clinics
• 3) Persons who provide protection to abortion
  clinics (security guards, escorts, law
  enforcement officers, etc.) and
  
• 4) Judges and politicians who pass or uphold
  laws authorizing child-killing or oppressing
  pro-life activists.
  
• These classes of individuals are all committing
  various crimes to which they should answer. We
  regard them all as "abortionists."
  
• The evidence we collect will be forwarded to
  several secure locations so that pro-abortion
  forces will not be able to destroy the evidence
  and prevent its future use. In addition, we will
  share copies of the pertinent information with
  local or national pro-life organizations which
  may need it in their work. Some of the
  information, for instance, may be very useful in
  a present day trial if the abortionist is being
  sued or charged with another crime. Other
  information may be useful in revealing to
  neighbors and colleagues of the abortionist by
  way of exposing the horrible crimes the people
  are committing.
• -
  Christiangallery.com

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The End

• Any Questions?