Like most democratic nations in the world, the United States has had its fair share of problems with hate speech. There has been much controversy over whether hate speech should be regulated. When analyzing the concept of free speech, one cannot ignore that it does not happen in a vacuum. There have been all kinds of debasements ranging from ethnic, religious, racial and gender stereotypes. Freedom of speech inherently includes all other fundamental human rights. Therefore, as recognized through natural rights, other rights and personhood should be categorically included within the scope of this protection. Hate speech is a limit to freedom of speech, since it not only subjects the victim to deliberate psychological and physical harm, but also silences him, and therefore to prevent hate speech it is necessary to promote freedom of word. Freedom of speech is a human right. It is an extension of our autonomous nature and action. Free speech means everyone has a level platform, without privileging any one voice over others. It is a right for everyone, not just those who have the loudest voice or the most eloquent sound, but it is a freedom to which everyone should have access. This means that everyone is given equal weight in conveying their ideas. The purpose of free speech in a democracy is to enable progress and give citizens the opportunity to question authorities in ways that benefit society. Dissent is welcome in free speech; there is no wrong answer in how you express yourself, as long as you don't infringe on the rights of others to do the same. When dealing with issues of hate speech, the right to insult someone is not what is at issue. It's the fact that hate speech silences others by showing the other's obvious powerlessness in ways that might... middle of paper... First Amendment. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1993. Bleich, Erik. “Freedom of expression versus racist hate speech: explaining the differences between High Court regulations in the United States and Europe.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies40, n. 2 (February 2014): 283-300. Jacobs, James B. and Kimberly Potter. Hate crimes: criminal law and identity politics. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. Heumann, Milton, Thomas W. Church, and David P. Redlawsk. Hate speech on campus: Cases, case studies, and commentary. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1997. Lawrence, Frederick M. Punishing Hate: Bias Crimes Under American Law. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1999.Matas, David. Bloody Words: Hate and Freedom of Speech. Winnipeg: Bain & Cox, Publishers, 2000.Tedford, Thomas L. Free Speech in the United States. New York: Random House, 1985.