In Response to Stengel's Claim That We Need Hate Speech

Essay

In response to Stengel's claim that we need hate speech laws, Friedersdorf says "laws against speech that insults people based on religion, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation would have punished essayists like Christopher Hitchens, comedians like Eddie Murphy, hip-hop artists, feminist radicals like Andrea Dworkin, and radical gay activists who dislike 'breeders.'" Do you think this is a fair response? Do you think Stengel would support punishing the people mentioned by Friedersdorf? Explain.