That group may be a certain race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, someone with physical or mental disability or something else. The United States protects freedom of speech in the First Amendment. In this "liberal" society, there's an "open exchange of ideas." Hate speech is an expression that mocks or belittles a person because he or she may belong to a certain social group. When aimed at oppressed minorities and other people of color, hate speech is not just insulting it also continues the oppression of these minorities. This kind of censorship would be unthinkable: Criticism of government is key to the health of a free, open democracy. For them, hate speech is part of a broader system of inequality and unjust discrimination. That group may be a certain race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, someone with physical or mental disability or something else. Therefore, hate speech poses a challenge for modern, free societies. Hate speech can be directed so people inflict hatred or violence against a group. Free, democratic nations believe that all people are equal, but they should also be free to express themselves and their feelings. Any censorship, they might say, would lead to more censorship by a government. That group may be a certain race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, someone with physical or mental disability or something else. It causes the victims, the people spewing hate and the rest of society to absorb the hateful messages and act on that hate. In the traditional idea of what liberal, democratic societies should be, all speech is typically allowed even hate speech.