What you can't say, your newspaper can?

In light of the recent arrest of a Connecticut Taco Bell patron on a charge Drudge calls "ridicule on account of race, creed or color," I wanted to know whether the state law says that.

Apparently, it does.

According to Yale Daily News, the law prohibits more than race-based ridicule:

Connecticut defines a hate crime as the "deprivation of rights of others, desecration of property, ridicule on account of race, creed or color," or "intimidation based on bigotry or bias."
Does that mean it would be a crime to print the cartoons ridiculing Mohammad and Islam in Connecticut?

Or do journalists enjoy an exemption not shared by ordinary people?

UPDATE: Here's the state law:

Sec. 53-37. Ridicule on account of race, creed or color. Any person who, by his advertisement, ridicules or holds up to contempt any person or class of persons, on account of the creed, religion, color, denomination, nationality or race of such person or class of persons, shall be fined not more than fifty dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days or both.(1949 Rev., S. 8376.)
Anyone see an exception for journalists?

MORE: Eugene Volokh sheds light on this incident, arguing that the "fighting words" doctrine does in fact allow face-to-face insults (as opposed to "speech that isn't directed to a particular hearer") to be prohibited, but that the "ridicule on account of race" prohibition would be unconstitutional.

posted by Eric on 02.03.06 at 10:13 AM





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Comments

Or Comedy Central for that matter.

Adam   ·  February 3, 2006 11:13 AM

Did Ted Rall's cartoon (the one where he called Condi Rice a "house nigga") get published in Connecticut?

If so, shouldn't he have been arressted?

Robbie   ·  February 3, 2006 01:30 PM

Cripes... I wonder if this is selectively enforced... hmmm

Harkonnendog   ·  February 3, 2006 08:13 PM

Sounds like the perfect law for the liberal thought police, the kind that jibes so well with the politically correct policies they have so expertly deployed, and so selectively enforce at present on college campuses.

Enrique Cardova   ·  February 4, 2006 12:17 AM

The Connecticut state legislature are a bunch of cock sucking motherfuckers! Does that violate the "class or persons" portion of the staute? I sure the fuck hope so!

anonymous   ·  February 4, 2006 02:17 AM


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