General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Philly buses ordered to accept ads featuring Hitler & 1941 Palestinian leader [View all]daredtowork
(3,732 posts)Though I think the KKK one is also skating close to the edge because it might also be sending subliminal cues that lynching is okay, I think the Hitler/Muslim association is a more direct incitement to violence because of the association between Muslims and terrorism. I gave the example in my other comment of the Hindi men who were beaten merely because they were mistaken for Muslims after 9/11.
Comparing Muslims to Hitler in a book would still be free speech, but the response wouldn't be as visceral as it would be to a bus ad.
Lets look at another comparison: holocaust deniers. Those who write books on the topic are probably pushing the boundaries of free speech since they are influencing opinion with a lot of lies. But we rely on other speech to argue them down. If someone starts issuing pro-holocaust literature that might be enacted upon in the vicinity of a Jewish neighborhood...well, that might look more like speech inciting a hate crime.
As a woman, I would want to see the deliberate inciting of rape limited. Anyone who points the empty abstraction of free speech over that has not needed the protection of their own rights: good for them, but their "total defense of free speech" will be a very lonely fight indeed.