re: #9 Sergey Romanov

The people involved with this ad might get theirs, but I’m not so sure this incident is not representative. This is the same Switzerland which recently banned building minarets.

littlegreenfootballs.com

The fact that such bigotry had become law gave me (yet another) reason to doubt if hate speech laws accomplish much of anything.

Sure, the idiots who “go too far” like these can end up in jail. But just because most racists aren’t open, that doesn’t mean they’re impotent.

Besides…

A GNC member claimed the ad was directed against the Israeli government,

Isn’t this exactly the rationale for nearly every antisemitic jackhole these days? Of course, when spin isn’t enough to keep hate “legal,” there’s always code.
spiegel.de

Haters always find a way. Only open confrontation can expose their evil before someone else drinks the kool-aid. (by “confrontation,” I don’t mean physical altercations)

Hate speech laws turn that confrontation into a spectator sport. And “its against the law” becomes the only argument against hate. Its naive to think this approach will convince anyone hate is wrong. If anything, the haters come out looking like freedom fighting martyrs. I’d rather they were labeled rodeo clowns than that.