The United Nations drew massive heat on social media for asserting that “words can be weapons.”
“Words can be weapons. Hate speech online can lead to cruelty & violence in real life. Get tips for how you can say #NoToHate,” the U.N. wrote with a link to a page on its website discussing so-called “hate speech.”
Words can be weapons.
Hate speech online can lead to cruelty & violence in real life.
Get tips for how you can say #NoToHate: https://t.co/LiLrhbvu01 pic.twitter.com/igrawpM96M
— United Nations (@UN) November 27, 2022
Numerous prominent online voices lambasted the U.N. for the arguably anti-free speech post.
“I wish we’d defund you,” conservative radio host Dana Loesch posted in response to the U.N.
“No they can’t. Just stop. You have member nations engaged in slavery & mass murder. How about you get some priorities?” asked PJ Media columnist Stacey Lennox.
The U.N.’s online post featured a link to a webpage offering tips on how people should conduct themselves when faced with “hate speech.”
“Hate speech occurs in all societies, whether offline or online. It can sometimes be hard to assess when a comment is meant as hate speech – especially when expressed in the virtual world. It can also feel overwhelming to try to deal with obviously hateful content,” the page reads. “However, there are many ways you can take a stand, even if you are not personally the victim of hate speech. And you can make a difference.”
“To detect false and biased information, including hate speech propaganda, be sure to check the content’s origin with the help of search engines, fact-checking tools, and other reliable sources,” said the U.N.
“One way to tackle hate speech is to spread your own counter-speech to make sure hate is not the dominant narrative. You can undermine hateful content with positive messages that spread tolerance, equality, and truth in defense of those being targeted by hate,” the page asserted. “Taking a public stand for, and extending solidarity to, people who are the targets of hate speech demonstrates that rejecting hate is the responsibility of every individual.”
The United Nations has complained of so-called “hate speech” numerous times in the past, as evidenced by multiple videos the organization has uploaded to its YouTube channel:
