Free Speech vs. Hate Speech

I was recently invited to participate in a panel discussion over the subject of “free speech.”  Among the subtopics on the agenda are those of the Confederate monument controversy and the relationship between free speech and “hate speech.”

My schedule forced me to decline the invitation.  However, even had this not been the case, I probably would’ve declined at any rate.  The description of the discussion, you see, makes it clear that its organizers assume, first of all, that the distinction...