After watching the HBO documentary "Skinheads USA" why do you think Bill Riccio and others like him are able to express such hateful views? Should our government be changed to limit the rights of people like Riccio or should the law remain the same? Explain...
33 comments:
Bill Riccio and others like him are able to express such hateful views because i think society notices them as having 'in-moral' ways of thinking so they accept the fact that they are there and they think this way. so as they speak out and protest, the public and government dont make it such a big deal because it hasnt gotten physical. yes, words can hurt but most people can view them as 'insane' and blow it off.
i dont think they should change the laws because then they would have to account for everyone else that says or writes something even remotely bad whether or not they are a part of a hate group or not. unless they make this new law specific to hate groups then they shouldnt change anything.
other races know that things like this are still going on. everyone discriminates so putting limits to just one group of people doesnt mean violence is going to stop among other people. you cant stop hatred, it will always be there so why try to avoid it by making another law to complicate it even more?
I think Bill Riccio is able to express such hateful views because he is ignorant. His views have no validity to them but he thinks they are correct because of the life he has lived. By growing up in the deep south, he was probably installed with these values and that is why he seems to be so passionate with them. People are allowed to express these views as long as they don’t break the law by showing evidence of violence or breaking any other rule. To keep our government a democracy with freedom of speech we should keep the rights we have. But the second a hate group or any other citizen has broken a law they should pay the consequences.
I think this guy bill riccio is sick and completly out of his mind. he is basically brain wash those kids who were with him and use them as his weapon towards other innocent people. even though our first amendent allows him for his freedom of his speech and he is basically taking advantage of it.i think in my opinion bill riccio has to be in prison until he is dead because he is basically doing bad things to the community and also for the protection of the other people that are living in this country. i think the government have to take action against this protest programs. in my opinion i would say these kind of activities were strictly has to be strictly prohibited, otherwise there will be more bill riccio's and his followers will rise.
Skinheads members such as Bill Riccio are able to express whatever their opinions and views may be towards the public because this is a right that was given to them as a U.S. citizen. The skinheads' freedom of speech and assembly is protected by the first amendment, and because this is a right engraved in our Constitution, Riccio and others are able to freely express their hateful views. Also, hate group members are usually found verbally expressing their views rather than physically. Therefore, since one usually cannot physically see individuals getting hurt by the practices of skinheads, most people would conclude that they are not violating the law, though different interpretations of the first amendment are necessary.
Next, our government wouldn't be able to change because if you were to limit the rights of members of hate groups, you would then be taking away their rights as an American. It would be impossible to put limitations on certain groups without changing the whole law stystem or Constitution because any new or changes to the system would have to apply to all. Hence, the law should remain the same because the skinheads and other hate groups deserve the right to freely express themselves. However, as Melissa said, if a skinhead, alike any other citizen, shall break the law, they of course should and would be punished accordingly.
Bill Riccio and other skinheads are able to form these hateful acts and express them. They are only allowed to do this because our first amendment, we have the freedom of speech. I dont believe it is right however, it is going on and can't be stopped because of our first amendment right. The only way the government and the police can get involved is if Bill Riccio or any other skinhead causes violence and destruction. Then, any type of action that needs to take place will take place and the government would have every right to.
I think Bill Riccio is horrible in the way he thinks about society and people. It is not right to think one type of person is better than another in any type of way. Also, he is a manipulator and a brainwasher to all that are around and involved with him. I feel bad for anyone that crosses his path because he obviously has the power to get people to think the way he does and do what he wants them to do. Which is aboslutely horrific.
Bill Riccio and other skinheads are able to form these hateful acts and express them. They are only allowed to do this because our first amendment, we have the freedom of speech. I dont believe it is right however, it is going on and can't be stopped because of our first amendment right. The only way the government and the police can get involved is if Bill Riccio or any other skinhead causes violence and destruction. Then, any type of action that needs to take place will take place and the government would have every right to.
I think Bill Riccio is horrible in the way he thinks about society and people. It is not right to think one type of person is better than another in any type of way. Also, he is a manipulator and a brainwasher to all that are around and involved with him. I feel bad for anyone that crosses his path because he obviously has the power to get people to think the way he does and do what he wants them to do. Which is aboslutely horrific.
Anyone in the US including skinheads like Bill Riccio are able to have free speech due to the first ammendment. This is a very controversial issue because many believe that it's ok to run around and tell the world what you think about other races and issues. Unless you verbally threaten someone then you are free to speak whatever you feel is acceptable. Truthfully I believe that law should stay the same because if someone was standing up for animal rights or abortion, why aren't they getting disgusting looks and arrested? Just because Bill Riccio is a whack job, it doesn't mean he doesn't have the same rights as everyone else. It would cause more of a problem if the government only gave certain rights to some people and resricted others from doing the same. Yes, I think Bill Riccio is wrong and ignorant but I still believe that he has every right in the world to express how he feels because we all express how we feel. Bill needs to tone it down a little but if he isn't hurting anyone or threatening anyone than he's harmless and we should all just ignore it.
In my opinion, I believe if our government attempted to limit the rights of some people like Bill, then it would be chaotic, and hypocritical. Bill Riccio and other skinheads are people who single out race groups and hatefully judge them. Limiting rights is hypocritical in the sense that these new laws would target groups for what they practice, and we would aspire to bring them to an end. Therefore, in trying to gain equality, all we would really be doing is depriving citizens of their given rights. In addition, it would be chaotic because passing right-limiting laws goes against what our country stands for when it comes to equal opportunities. As American citizens, we have the right to express ourselves, like what skinheads do. And believe it or not, a typical "skinhead" would consider themselves to be on the non-violent, literate, and well-educated end of the spectrum. So limiting laws would even be unjust among their group of people. Bill Riccio is what one would refer to as a "bad egg". He expresses such negative views probably because of what he was exposed to when he was younger, his own independent experiences led him to his hateful ways. It's unfortunate he exhibits such a hostile manner, but he has every right to.
Bill Riccio and others like him are able to express such hateful views because their right to freedom of speech in the first amendment. I feel, even though I do not believe in what Bill Riccio and others preach, that the government should not be able to limit their freedom of speech rights. I think that the government should enact more laws that maybe limit where they can preach their beliefs and maybe should do something about the huge protests and meetings that these types of people hold, but not take away their freedom to say what they feel. I also feel that maybe the government should keep a close eye on protests and meetings such as the ones Bill Riccio aseembled to make sure they do not lead to any acts of violence or crime. Another thing that should be prevented is how Riccio had so many young people living with him and how no one did anything to get them back into their real homes and just let them get brainwashed by him. But if major laws or limitations on laws were put into effect then that would cause many more problems and limit the freedom of speech for all American's even if they have nothing to do with such hate laws.
That was an extremely eye opening and surprising film showing the skinheads in their element. I think Bill Riccio and the people in his group are able to express such hateful views because of our right to speech and peaceful protest. By marching in the streets they are not causing physical harm, even if what they are yelling and portraying is sometimes threatening. This is an important right in our Constitution because if something is wrong in our society people should have the right to speak out against it. This helps keep our government in check.
Obviously they are wrong in their opinions and their aspirations are out of line and impossible (The south without black people). This walks the fine line between Constitutional and not.
I think there should be some restrictions on the content discussed at demonstrations like the ones that the skinheads had. They are directly threatening and offensive and are simply wrong.
I believe that other people can express such hateful views on different races because they feel that they are better than everyone else they see. This can be true when you step foot into a high school hallway. The popular girls think that they are better than everyone else but really they are just the same people that might have more expensive clothes and try to make there image look nice. In reality, these people should understand that all people are really the same.
I dont really think that the laws should change because from what I saw, they didnt do any harm to others just meeting of the first ammendment of Freedom of Speach. If the government tried to change the laws, then more people would join in the protection of peoples freedoms and also, may cause more riots to happen threwout the USA.
Bill Riccio and others like him are able to express their views because they have the legal right to do so.
What exactly would such a change to our government entail? There are already many restrictions on "freedom of speech" that ban speech that incites immediate violence, as well as other things.
Would we have to ban the meeting of groups deemed to be racist? Who would go about deciding what groups were racist and on what specific standard would such a thing be determined? How would we enforce such a law and what would the punishment be for breaking it? These questions are difficult to answer because the law in question would be incredibly difficult to enforce and incredibly ineffective at reducing racism in this country. If anything it would only fuel the martyr complexes these people have.
Limiting freedom of speech or creating laws that indirectly limit it, are incredibly dangerous thing. Many forget that the rights that belong to Bill Riccio are the same rights that belong to us.
For today, the Bill Riccio's are in the minority, but tommorow the minority could be anybody. What would you do if the day came when students were debating whether or not it should be legal for you to hold the view you do?
The only way to prevent tyranny of the majority is to give all people, including those of the minority, inalienable rights. How could anyone who has ever heard an inspiring word or recieved a thought provoking message, not agree that freedom of speech is an alienable right?
So this is about more than Bill Riccio and his pathetic racist propaganda. It's about how the majority reacts to the minority.
Even if 99% of the population voted that it should be legal to kill the homeless, it would still be an unconstitutional law because it completely overlooks the inalienable right of the homeless to live.
That may seem like an extreme example, but the angry pseudo logic that has so often errupted in violence to the majority; is a close cousin of the angry pseudo logic that has for so long been an enemy of freedom of speech.
It's easy for alot of people to take their freedom of speech for granted because these people typicly don't posess view points that are very controversial or unpopular. They don't need the protection of their rights because no one is attacking what they say. But that is not a luxury enjoyed by everyone and I'm not just talking about racists.
It may sound absurd to compare racists to suffragists and civil rights activists, but unfortunatly those who attack the first ammendment make such a comparison all too accurate. Equality has been a minority view in many cultures/time periods and it was "the racists" that attempted to suppress the inalienable rights of the minority that spoke for equality.
This act was not just a reflection of the majorities racism and ignorance, it was also a reflection of the unhealthy instinct of the majority to suppress the views they don't agree with. As outragous as it may sound, alot of the well intentioned people who say Bill Riccio and the Klan shouldn't be aloud to have their pathetic little "rallies" are acting on the same instinct that the Klan and groups like them used themselves in response to those who spoke for equality. That is but a small part of the disgusting irony that will make idiots of all of us when we're just pages in a history book.
I don't like Bill Riccio and I hate racism, but the day that Bill Riccio can't be a racist and express his ridiculous views... I'm moving to Denmark.
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"- Voltaire.
Bill Riccio and others like him are allowed to share their racist views because that speech is protected under the first amendment. Although I don't believe in Bill's ignorant views i do respect the constitution and I believe it is his right to speak his mind. I do, however, think there should be some kind of law that stops people like this from preaching their hate to young kids. People like Bill target young, confused kids, and that isn't right. These kids are very impressionable and easily brainwashed. So, i do believe these groups should be allowed to speak their minds, but i think laws should be put in place to protect minors from their evil thoughts.
Bill Riccio and others like him are allowed to share their racist views because that speech is protected under the first amendment. Although I don't believe in Bill's ignorant views i do respect the constitution and I believe it is his right to speak his mind. I do, however, think there should be some kind of law that stops people like this from preaching their hate to young kids. People like Bill target young, confused kids, and that isn't right. These kids are very impressionable and easily brainwashed. So, i do believe these groups should be allowed to speak their minds, but i think laws should be put in place to protect minors from their evil thoughts.
After watching Bill Riccio, they are allowed to express their hateful words to our society because of the First Amendment, it shows that they have their freedom of speech, that's very important they can say many things without limits of what they can say. Also now it also showed that they could also demonstrate their hate by holding signs. Our government should definitely charge them, and they should also give anybody including Riccio only certain rights to certain extent because this can start up lots of violence in the nation today.
The only reson why Bill Riccio was able to do his "preaching" in public was because the law protected him. As long as he did the rally in a peaceful way then the government or anyone couldn't stop them. Bill Riccio is an ignorant man with ignorant views but I don't think the government should take away any racist persons ability to speak their mind but I do think that they should make laws to limit the type of preaching Bill Riccio and his followers do. In the end we are living in a time where Blacks and whites can marry and have children , so really who will hear these Ignorant people out anyway?
Bill Riccio is able to express his personal and political views because he is protected by their freedom of speech, and also think that they feel neglected- now that many other different races are growing, they feel that that the government is focusing more on the other races than it's "primary one" which is white. Of course there is nothing wrong with sharing what he is preaching, but it is the people who he is preaching to- kids. He targets mostly the neglected kids because they are the most vulnerable ones. They'll agree to everything you say, if you give them a home, that is why after he was arrested, they confessed that Bill had violated them.
I think the law should remain the same because the way he preaches about racism is the same way some people will preach about Islam, the choice of accepting is up to the person who is being preached to, although, I still think what he is preaching is wrong. We have reached a time where America is made up of many diverse races and believing that one's own races is superior to the rest would not benefit you because everywhere you'll go, you will see different races of people everywhere, that why Bill preacjes to the kids, because by influencing their minds with these racist beliefs, they'll grow up with them and spread it to others. The little kid who said,"Hitler is in my heart."
Bill Riccio and others like him are able to express such hateful views because the law gives them the right to do so. Even as much as many people want to take that right away from them, it is not possible because not only is that breaking the first amendment, it is also breaking the other amendment that says all people are considered equal. Skinheads can't be singled out because that means all groups that have any sign off hatred towards another have to also be singled out which will just cause a lot of chaos and also the taking of people's rights. That is why even though I would love for the government to limit the rights of people like Riccio, I think the law should just remain the same for the sake of all peoples' rights.
According to the First Amendment Freedom of Speech, Bill Riccio have the right to say whatever he feels like about anyone, he and many other people like him should just realize that they are all people, that live in the society just like them, we are all the same, I don't think that the Government should change this law, I think that if he doesn't cause any physical harm to anyone, the law should remain the same...
But what I do think is that Bill Riccio and many people like him need to be stopped because he uses his power to manipulate and control people into brainwashing them into making them think the way he does, I think that is totally messed up!
Under our nation’s Constitution, the first amendment protects the rights of skinheads like Bill Riccio and others to express their hateful views. Although I firmly believe that these views are completely skewed and disgusting, I understand that the government cannot limit these acts. Unless skinhead gatherings are violent or of a criminal nature, the government cannot limit their actions. The negative, offensive views of skinheads can be equally expressed as any other American opinion, and our government cannot limit one expression over another. Though I am offended by the way hateful people like Bill Riccio express themselves, I don’t believe that their rights should be limited because it would be wrong and hypocritical. Everyone, despite the ignorance of their views, should be equally as free to express them as everyone else as American citizens. People like Bill Riccio will always exist, so we shouldn’t spend our time trying to limit their freedoms of expression.
Like everyone has pretty much already added, Bill Riccio and his skinheads have been allowed to express their hateful views legally because the law protects that right. Its difficult to say that the government shouldn't change the laws so that these views could be illegal but it is unrealistic because it is an umbrella law and covers a wide amount of actions citizens are allowed to do. This documentary opened up my eyes and really disgusted me with the way these people live but unfortunately we can't change the law for our benefit unless we make countless specific laws.
Anyone in the US including skinheads like Bill Riccio are able to have freedom of speech due to the first amendment. They are allowed to speak out and form peaceful protests as long as things don’t get out of control or violent. Since one usually cannot physically see individuals getting hurt by the practices of skinheads, most people would conclude that they are not violating the law, though different interpretations of the first amendment are being proceeded. I believe our government wouldn't be able to change because if you were to limit the rights of members of hate groups, you would be taking away their rights as an American. It would be impossible to put limitations on certain groups without changing the whole Constitution because any changes to the system would have to apply to all. So I think it should remain the same because the skinheads and other hate groups deserve the right to freely express themselves. And if a skinhead, just as any other citizen in the U.S, shall break the law, they should be punished accordingly.
Bill Riccio is allowed to express his hateful and ignorant views because of the first amendment. The government is protecting his right to free speech and as long as he doesnt violate any laws he is allowed to say what he wants and spread any propaganda he feels necessary to the skinhead cause. However it is because of this amendment that sets America apart from many other countries that tell you what you can or cannot say, making us the land of the free. Editing this amendment to restrict racist or hateful views would be a positive for many, but it would be un-constitutional and un-American. The law should not be changed as these people have the right to speak their mind just as much as anyone else does.
Bill Riccio and many other skin heads are allowed to voice their opinions because of our first amendments. I don't feel that they should be allowed to voice their opinions even if it is covered by the first amendment. I think it strikes fear into many peoples eyes and it also causes outbursts of violence. Any way that you put it what bill Riccio does causes plenty of violence and corrupts youth to end up doing bad things. I feel that they should not be alowed to voice their opinions.
Bill Riccio and a multitude of other leaders and participants of hate groups are allowed to express their personal views and publicize them due to the First Amendment. He is able to spread them through the brainwashing and manipulation of teens coming from broken homes or destructive backgrounds. He gives these kids a cause to believe in and something to live for, even though they don't comprehend how vile and negative this cause is. Though I do not personally agree with the views expressed by this Skinhead group, I believe they are entitled to verbally express their views. If the government were to try to ban them from speaking out, they would have to ban all groups from expressing their opinion. This would include political, religious, academic, and other social groups. It is impossible to target one type of group or hate group and keep them from exercising their rights, while everyone else is still allowed to. An act like this would result in more hate, acts of violence, chaos, and fear. In order for us to keep our rights, we must let everyone else keep theirs.
I don’t have the slightest idea why Bill Riccio is allowed to say and do the things that he and his group does for the fact that he is doing harm to others, even though he does have the freedom to speech. I think the laws should change for people and groups like Bill Riccio because they are hurting others. Since hate groups are not only sometimes physically hurt others but emotionally hurt others too, the laws should be made stricter so people in communities can feel safe and not threatened.
Riccio is able to express his views and beliefs freely because of the first amendment. He is able to as many protests as he wants as long as they are peaceful which in this case he does. I think that this amendment should stay the same due to the fact that America would not be America without it. This is what lets us speak our minds freely and what lets each individual be themselves, even though some people may exploit it.
The act of degradationg and seeing others as inferior is wrong in any way and should not be protected by law. I think they should not be protected by law because they are not simply expressing their opinions, but trying to brainwash kids to also become Neo-Nazis. And in addition, violence is encouraged in these hate groups. In the video with Bill Riccio, they had burned the American flag because they recognize the Confederates as their country. If they do not want to recognize this country as theirs then they should not be allowed the privilege of the country's protection.
Although he is hating on other races, bill riccio has every right to say these tyhings due to the first amendment, and his voice is not known to cause harm to others, just accused of this act. THe first amendment should be upheld, because without it, we will all be scared to speak our mind, where bill riccio has every right to hate, no matter who else veiws this as wrong or unjust.
Bill Riccio and his followers were able to think the way they thought because they were just ignorant and didn't care what other people told them about how they thought. They would just ignore them and stick to their own beliefs, regardless of what really is "right."
I believe Bill Riccio and others like him are able to express their views safely because they are careful about what they expose. On the video, we saw the extreme side of what they practice, but what we don't know is the areas in which they practice. Are they careful to choose places where the police aren't as watchful? It was interesting to see one of the rallies in the video that not only was racist towards jews, but also towards black people...when black police officers were right there marching along-side them, protecting them, if the crowds got out of control. These racist people are willing to take protection from the people they are racist towards, which makes no sense whatsoever. It just proves how messed up and wrong their views really are. So yes, I do believe government should change some of our laws. It's understandable that they fall under our free speech amendment, but what they are doing really does hurt people, emotionally. If they want to practice, that's perfectly allowed, but they should be limited to where they can and when they can and who they practice to. They shouldn't be able to march down the streets shouting for everyone to hear, it should be something private and limited to only those who want to hear what is being said.
The first amendment gives Bill Riccio and his "followers" the right to speak out against or for what they believe in. Although I do not agree with what him and his group believes in or "fights for", I do feel that as long as they are doing it peacefully, then we should let them be. By making a problem out of it or cracking down harder on the issue, we would just be further aggravating them which would push them to be more violent than they already are. What I think should be looked at closer is what exactly falls into a "peaceful assemble" like what is stated in the first amendment. We can't control what they say, but we can to a certain extent control what they do, if it’s an act of violence or a hate crime. Sure no one WANTS to walk down the street and see what are known as Skin Heads or KKK members having a rally in their town, I would imagine it would make them quite uncomfortable to see that. But in reality, just like everything else, if they aren't hurting anyone else (physically) then we should leave them to do what they want to do. The second it becomes violent is when the government or other authorities should step in.
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