Donald Trump says protesters are partially to blame for violence at rallies
Donald Trump told George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s This Week, that protesters are at least partially to blame for the surge in violence at his rallies. "They’re really stopping our first amendment rights,“ Trump told Stephanopoulos, speaking about the people who “stand up and try and disrupt” his rallies. “So, you’re blaming the protesters, not the person who actually punched and kicked the protesters?” Stephanopoulos asked. Trump responded, “No, I’m saying this …”
Donald Trump claims that his “rights” are being trampled upon, that people standing up and saying that his expression of bigoted, jingoistic ideas are detrimental to the United States’ advancement as a nation, is somehow too outrageous to allow.
Never mind the fact that Donald Trump has committed to a mandatory religious test for immigrants entering the country, just so he can keep Muslims out.
Never mind the fact that Donald Trump has effectively blamed Mexico for sending “their worst” to the United States without documentation, and plans to build a wall along the US-Mexico border, while forcing them to foot the bill.
Never mind the fact that Donald Trump has not only encouraged violence against protesters at his rallies, but has also promised to pay any legal fees to defend them from incurred assault charges.
Donald Trump has clearly proven his ideas to be absolutely dangerous. He hides behind the shield of “free speech” to protect his harmful statements, and expects others to somehow respect this.
Hate speech is not an intrinsic “right” for anyone. It directly causes harm, and allows for intolerance to reproduce itself. If the only defense is “I have a right to express violent opinions,” then those opinions do not deserve to be spoken freely. Dangerous speech like the sort that Donald Trump espouses needs to be eradicated by any and all means. Trump must be crushed.
(via micdotcom)