Free Speech or Hate Crime? The Massachusetts Snapchat Case
Channel: Salem Snow
Date: 19/03/2024

Recently, six juveniles in Massachusetts were charged in connection with a racial bullying incident that involved a mock slave auction on Snapchat. The incident, which took place in Southwick, involved "hateful and racist comments," threats of violence towards people of color, and a mock slave auction directed at two particular juveniles. The chat was created by a group of 8th-grade students from Southwick Regional School between February 8 and 9. The district attorney for Hampden County, Anthony Gulluni, became aware of the incident on February 15 and initiated an investigation. As a result, all six juveniles were charged with threat to commit a crime, and two were also charged with interference with civil rights, with one of those two additionally charged with witness interference¹²³⁴.

This event has been widely condemned, and the district attorney has stated that hatred and racism have no place in the community, emphasizing the importance of acting swiftly to bring such behavior to justice¹. The students involved were suspended from school, with some facing extended suspensions¹.

In this video, I discuss the most recent news story coming out of Massachusetts about six juvenile 8th graders, 13-year-old boys being criminally charged for making an offensive Snapchat post of a mock slave auction on Snapchat. They were suspended from school for about 2 to 4 weeks. However, they are being charged by the district attorney for who knows what because probably hate speech isn't a crime, but they're making it seem like hate speech is a crime. The government should not be involved in criminally charging someone for freedom of speech. Yes, the joke was most likely offensive, but the TV show's office has made way more offensive jokes than that. And you're not charging Steve Carell or the creators of that show. What happened to free speech? Hate speech is free speech. Was the joke funny? Maybe. Was the joke offensive? Probably. But we are treating criminals like children and children like criminals, and that is absurd and over the line. In New York City, a criminal was let go from custody four times after being charged with the murder of a child, attempted murder of a child, and attempted murder of a female. He ended up pushing his girlfriend onto the train tracks, and her feet got amputated. Is that guy in custody yet? I don't know. I think he was an illegal immigrant. And this is the problem: our streets aren't safe. There are gunshots at night. People are dying by the dozens in the country in the Western Hemisphere. Why can't the president do what the El Salvadorian president did and clean up the streets to make everyone happier, richer, more successful, relaxed, and more comfortable? He has an 80% approval rating. Why can't we do that? Why can't we throw the book at criminals and not treat children like criminals when they aren't criminals and not prosecute free speech or hate speech? That's over the line. The children should be punished and should be suspended or expelled even, but criminal charges go way too far. The district attorney is just virtue signaling at this point.

Source: 3/19/2024
(1) 6 Massachusetts teens charged in racial bullying incident with mock .... https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/6-massachusetts-teens-charged-racial-bullying-incident-mock-slave-auct-rcna143459.

(2) Massachusetts investigators pursue six 8th graders who created a mock .... https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/massachusetts-investigators-pursue-six-8th-graders-who-created-a-mock-slave-auction-on-snapchat/ar-BB1jU8kO.

(3) ‘Vile’: 6 Massachusetts eighth graders charged for setting up ‘mock .... https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/vile-6-massachusetts-eighth-graders-charged-setting-up-mock-slave-auction-snapchat/X3MA2FU5JBDA5MNIBAUILBZIMA/.

(4) Six juveniles charges in connection with graphic racist bullying, 'mock .... https://www.bostonherald.com/2024/03/15/six-juveniles-charges-in-connection-with-graphic-racist-bullying-mock-slave-auction-over-snapchat/.

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