Free Speech Advocates, Publishers Wrestle With Questions Of Censorship
"Both the NCAC and PEN America say the best response to hate speech is not more censorship.
"Trying to suppress hateful speech doesn't make it go away," says Bertin. "I mean, I think the whole idea of free speech requires us to be active participants, and when we hear ideas that we think are bad and harmful, it requires us to say 'why,' not just say 'shut up.'"
But publisher Dennis Johnson says another equally important right is at stake here: The right to protest.
"This is not about censoring right wing voices," he says. "This is about combating hate speech and its entry into the mainstream.""
