Should We Deplatform Racist People? (open discussion, all views welcome)

Christmas is here. Let’s cozy up by the fire, sip a hot cocoa and talk about racism.

Should we deplatform racist people? So Nick Fuentes has been around for a little while now, but has been making his rounds among some popular names in media including Tucker Carlson and Piers Morgan. He is a self-admitted racist** and has a large following. Is this combination a danger to society that we must squash? Some say he should not even be dignified with an interview and condemn those who give him a platform.

Do we need to protect vulnerable people from themselves so they do not become brainwashed by people with dangerous ideas? Can you listen to offensive hate speech without it influencing you? If so, what makes you different from the people who should be shielded from this rhetoric?

**Racism is a very loaded term with multiple meanings. For some it is simply a matter of judging someone based on the color of their skin. For others there is a power dynamic involved (ie the oppressed cannot be racist against the oppressor). No matter which of these terms you accept or reject, you will view the other side as “racist” and the other side will view you as “racist”. Maybe we can all put our fingers down and approach this differently?

We’ve seen this story play out a few times now. In the late 1600’s we had the Salem Witch Trials. In the 1950’s we had McCarthyism which led to thousands of people losing their jobs and their reputations ruined. This will piss off many but I’m going to include COVID and those who refused the jab.

Should all speech be permitted and only hold people accountable for their actions? If you can attribute one person’s violence to another person’s speech, and you could prevent the violence by suppressing the speech, are you justifying in doing so? Can we rely on a free market of ideas to let the bad ideas die out and people can naturally gravitate to what is good?

What are your thoughts? Come join us for a fun discussion! All views and perspectives welcome; but don't worry the adrenaline will keep you warm during the winter season!

This is a very casual discussion event that welcomes all ranges of views while remaining respectful and civil. We're only human so I can only expect so much, so long as we try our best. Everyone should seek to understand other views, and hopefully after thorough analysis refine your own views. Ask good faith questions to those you disagree with and try to give good faith answers to questions directed at you. We stand to learn the most from those we disagree with most.

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Hope you can join us!