Freedom of speech has been under sustained attacks from primarily the political left and certain groups supposedly crusading for civil rights.
The politically correct media, as always, has acted as the spearhead for many cultural shifts; in this case, the media–with an almost monopoly on truth–changes language on a whim to alter the way the public approaches certain inflammatory topics.
For example, the mainstream media, instead of using ‘illegal alien’ to describe, well, illegal aliens; has taken on softer euphemisms with less serious connotations, such as ‘undocumented immigrant.’
Now it’s illegal to hatefully refer to somebody–even when reporting them to authorities–as ‘illegal aliens.’
If somebody uses the term in a hateful manner, they could potentially face a fine of up to $250,000.
A 29-page directive was released by City Hall’s Commission on Human Rights announcing the newly added offense.
The New York Post reports on the Memo:
“‘Alien’ — used in many laws to refer to a ‘noncitizen’ person — is a term that may carry negative connotations and dehumanize immigrants, marking them as ‘other,’” reads one passage of the memo. “The use of certain language, including ‘illegal alien’ and ‘illegals,’ with the intent to demean, humiliate, or offend a person or persons constitutes discrimination.”
Other examples of ‘hate’ could include threats of calling immigration services or acts of intolerance towards those of other cultures.
Mocking or bothering individuals over accents or ability to speak English could also constitute ‘hate’ under the new directive.
The New York Post continues:
“A hotel prohibits its housekeepers from speaking Spanish while cleaning because it would ‘offend’ hotel guests or make them uncomfortable,” reads one hypothetical.
“An Indian immigrant family complains to their landlord about mold and cockroaches in their unit. The landlord tells them to ‘just deal with it’ and threatens to call ICE if they file a complaint in housing court,” reads another.
“A store owner tells two friends who are speaking Thai while shopping in his store to ‘speak English’ and ‘go back to your country,’ ” reads a third.
There are currently a few ongoing cases concerning ‘hate’ which would fall under the new directive.
Around a third of New Yorkers were born outside of the USA.
City Hall’s Commission on Human Rights wishes to protect minorities with this subjective and tyrannical directive.
Patch reports:
Officials say the law offers some of the nation’s strongest protections against discrimination based on immigration status and national origin in housing, the workplace and public accommodations such as stores, restaurants, schools and gyms.
“In the face of increasingly hostile national rhetoric, we will do everything in our power to make sure our treasured immigrant communities are able to live with dignity and respect, free of harassment and bias,” Human Rights Commission Chair Carmelyn P. Malalis said in a statement. “Today’s guidance makes abundantly clear that there is no room for discrimination in NYC.”
The commission said it is already investigating seven cases in which tenants were threatened with action from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. One of them involves a Queens landlord whom a judge fined $17,000 for threatening to call ICE on a tenant if she did not pay her rent, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Law Enforcement Today has the following to say on the directive’s timing:
The timing – not coincidentally – comes months after Mayor Bill de Blasio publicly spoke out against coordinated raids by ICE on those who snuck into the country.
It follows a Thursday move by de Blasio that’s a slap in the face to law-abiding taxpayers. That’s when the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs announced a joint $1 million investment with the state to guarantee legal services to immigrants facing imminent deportation.
Also on Thursday, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) added a hand signal to a list of things that “show that you’re a white supremacist”.
It’s the gesture widely known for saying things are “good-to-go”. It’s made a new database from the ADL that says the sign has been hijacked.
NYC, a progressive stronghold, hasn’t exactly the highest reputation for protecting the First Amendment–or the Second Amendment, for that matter.
‘Hate’ is always a strategically nebulous term. The reason for the elasticity of its definition is to keep it holstered for future use to silence dissent or muzzle individuals whose rhetoric could potentially threaten
