As a subscriber to classmates.com for several years they alerted members to their elections and leaders discussion board.
When i decided to use that feature by writng about who i would like to see as presidnt in 08 i was inundated with what can only be described as hate mail.
When i notified classmates.com about the issue they advised me if i continue to become a problem over things like this they would cancel my subsciption and when i objected again?
They did and did not issue a refund at all?
Here are the countries that have laws regarding hate related issues.
[edit] Laws against hate speech
In many countries, deliberate use of hate speech is a criminal offence prohibited under incitement to hatred legislation.
Some examples:
In the United Kingdom, incitement to racial hatred is an offence under the Public Order Act 1986 with a maximum sentence of up to seven years imprisonment.
In Germany, Volksverhetzung (incitement of hatred against a minority under certain conditions) is a punishable offense under Section 130 of the Strafgesetzbuch (Germany's criminal code) and can lead to up to five years imprisonment. Volksverhetzung is punishable in Germany even if committed abroad and even if committed by non-German citizens, if only the incitement of hatred takes effect within German territory, e.G. The seditious sentiment was expressed in German writ or speech and made accessible in Germany (German criminal code's Principle of Ubiquity, Section 9 1 Alt. 3 and 4 of the Strafgesetzbuch).
In Ireland, the right to free speech is guaranteed under the Constitution (Article 40.6.1. I). However, the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act, proscribes words or behaviours which are "threatening, abusive or insulting and are intended or, having regard to all the circumstances, are likely to stir up hatred" against "a group of persons in the State or elsewhere on account of their race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origins, membership of the travelling community or sexual orientation."[1]
In Canada, advocating genocide or inciting hatred against any 'identifiable group' is an indictable offense under the Canadian Criminal Code with maximum terms of two to fourteen years. An 'identifiable group' is defined as 'any section of the public distinguished by colour, race, religion, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.' It makes exceptions for cases of statements of truth, and subjects of public debate and religious doctrine. The landmark judicial decision on the constitutionality of this law was R.V. Keegstra (1990).
In Iceland, the hate speech law is not confined to inciting hatred, as one can see from Article 233 a.in the Icelandic Criminal Code, but includes simply expressing such hatred publicly:
"Anyone who in a ridiculing, slanderous, insulting, threatening or any other manner publicly assaults a person or a group of people on the basis of their nationality, skin colour, race, religion or sexual orientation, shall be fined or jailed for up to 2 years." (The word "assault" in this context does not refer to physical violence, only to expressions of hatred.)
Victoria, Australia has enacted the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act which prohibits conduct that incites hatred against or serious contempt for, or involves revulsion or severe ridicule of another on the grounds of his race or religious beliefs.
New Zealand prohibits hate speech under the Human Rights Act 1993. Section 61 (Racial Disharmony) makes it unlawful to publish or distribute "threatening, abusive, or insulting... Matter or words likely to excite hostility against or bring into contempt any group of persons... On the ground of the colour, race, or ethnic or national or ethnic origins of that group of persons." Section 131 (Inciting Racial Disharmony) lists offences for which "racial disharmony" creates liability.
France has made hate speech laws restricting the open expression of anti-Semitism, and ethnic bias in public, but it implies to guidelines in news journalism (i.E. Newspapers and state-owned Television) in how to report (or be told not to discuss) those matters without creating social tension.[citation needed]
Singapore has passed numerous laws that prohibit speech that causes disharmony among various religious groups. The Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act is an example of such legislation.in three men were convicted for hate speech under the Law of Singapore.[citation needed]
In Brazil, according to the 1988 Brazilian Constitution, racism and other forms of race-related hate speech are "imprescriptible crime (s) with no right to bail to its accused".[2] In a joint-action between the Federal Police and the Argentinian police has cracked down several hate-related websites. However, some of these sites have recently reappeared — the users have re-created the same sites on American domain. The federal police have asked permission from the FBI to crack down these sites, but the FBI denied claiming that the First Amendment guarantees the right to any speech, even if it involves racism.
Sweden prohibits hate speech, hets mot folkgrupp, and defines it as publicly making statements that threaten or express disrespect for an ethnic group or similar group regarding their race, skin colour, national or ethnic origin, faith or sexual orientation.[3]
Finland prohibits hate speech, kiihotus kansanryhm vastaan/hets mot folkgrupp, and defines it as publicly making statements that threaten or insult a national, racial, ethnic or religious group or a similar group.[4]
Denmark prohibits hate speech, and defines it as publicly making statements that threaten, ridicule or hold in contempt a group due to race, skin colour, national or ethnic origin, faith or sexual orientation.[5]
Norway prohibits hate speech, and defines it as publicly making statements that threaten or ridicule someone or that incite hatred, persecution or contempt for someone due to their skin colour, ethnic origin, homosexual life style or orientation or, religion or philosophy of life.[6]
Serbia - Serbian constitution guaranties freedom of speech, but declares that it may be restricted by law to protect rights and respectability of others. Because of inter ethnic conflicts during last decade of 20th century, Serbian authorities are very rigorous about ethnic, racial and religion based hate speech. It is processed as "Provoking ethnic, racial and religion based animosity and intolerance" criminal act, and punished with six months to ten years of imprisonment.[citation needed]
The Council of Europe has worked intensively on this issue. While Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights does not prohibit criminal laws against revisionism such as denial or minimization of genocides or crimes against humanity, as interpreted by the European Court of Human Rights, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe went further and recommended to member governments to combat hate speech under its Recommendation R (97) 20. The Council of Europe also created the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (www.coe.int/ecri) which has produced country reports and several general policy recommendations, for instance against anti-Semitism and intolerance against Muslims.
Below is one of the many examples of the sort of smut that classmates.com allows:
1 2 3 next | last page
(1) Why can't we just
L (L) H (view profile)
Started: 06/13/07 12:57pm PST
Shoot the illegal aliens as they illegally cross the boards into this country? Shouldn't we just start shooting them and be done with it?
Now, suppose one of these "illegals" is carrying a dirty bomb or antrax?
Shouldn't we just start shooting them and be done with it?
I'm just asking a question to see why we should or shouldn't just shoot them?
Classmates.com is a rip off for not applying a credit after cancellation of subscription for my objecting to that kind of material to begin with, and are biggots and racists for allowing the many hundreds of like minded threads to be posted for discussion and allowing then to remain there for sevral years on 500 pages of archives and many thousands of threda and even more posts in response to thos threads.
0 comments