What I’m about to say is not about words, which words we use – it is an invitation to look at the thoughts and feelings we are using those words to express.
In your post, when you say:

“Fight racism. Fight hatred. And be damned sure you’re looking for the scarier threats that trawl those waters.”

I invite us to STOP FIGHTING! fighting and racism and hatred all come from the same place – fear. (just exactly like those “scarier threats”)

Imagine: just imagine what would happen if we cleared up the fear just with ourselves, and then lived, uncompromisingly, in that space of being, peace.

That choice of being peace, then, addresses the concerns you go on to express:

“But how? And where? And what will be the way we see this all come to light? That I’m not so sure about, and further, when you think about how one might patrol for such, I think free speech (not hate speech, but the other stuff that will get sucked into the nets) might get caught up, too.”

I choose peace, you choose peace, and we choose not to interact with that which is not peace. Honestly – can you imagine? – it can change the world.

Too simplistic? What if we just gave it a try?

Thanks!

You make an excellent point. Criticism of the use of free speech is healthy and necessary and a fundamental part of the whole first amendment.

But why do I feel like I’m being lumped in with racists in defending this right? You may not seek to control me, have certainly found an effective way of silencing me.

I try to keep it positive but I’m human and sometimes the negative comes out.

I _really_ dislike blogs that are consistently negative, whether in jest or not, because as I said in my first sentence, there’s so much ugliness in the world…why would I knowingly get near it, I might mess up my shoes.