The new Irish Taoiseach (Head of Government) Simon Harris has committed to passing the Irish Government’s controversial ‘hate speech’ Bill before the next General Election, which must occur by 22 March 2025. Speaking on RTÉ’s Today (Ireland’s public service broadcaster), Harris expressed confidence that the legislation, officially known as the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill, would be enacted before the election.
The Bill, currently under review by the Seanad (Senate of Ireland), seeks to replace and expand existing hate crime laws in Ireland. It introduces new offenses, including inciting hatred based on protected characteristics, with penalties of up to five years in prison.
In an opinion piece for The Irish Independent, journalist Lorraine Courtney criticized Harris for not considering the potential consequences of the Bill, pointing to Scotland’s experience with similar legislation. She warned that the new law could overwhelm authorities with a flood of complaints, many of which may be frivolous, and suggested that hate-crime laws often exacerbate societal divisions by promoting identity politics.
Charlie Flanagan, who initially proposed the revision of Ireland’s hate crime legislation during his tenure as Justice Minister, has also voiced concerns. He referred to the current Bill as a “runaway train” and called for significant revisions to ensure its effectiveness. Flanagan reported receiving thousands of emails from concerned citizens and stated that the Bill needs “radical surgery” before it can be considered fit for purpose.
Why this is an indicator that the West is becoming post-democratic?
Ireland’s Hate Speech bill is one of an increasing number of bills to be submitted by governments that are detached from the majority voice of the electorate. A fully functioning, healthy democracy crafts bills to support the wants of the people. This keeps the electorate onboard thereby enabling more cooperative societies. Here however, Identity Politics is the ultimate benefactor of Hate Speech laws, not the people who are not asking for such laws anyway. In the West, proposed bills are seemingly springing out of nowhere and are touted with urgency, like those recently in the UK Parliament suggesting abortion should be permitted to full term. Who in the corridors of power are behind such bills?
In Ireland there was a ray of hope when the vote was put to the people about amending the Irish Constitution regarding marriage and motherhood. The public referendum, held on 8th March 2024, led to overwhelming defeats for both amendments. It was a clear signal that woke-inspired changes had little backing from the people. The electorate could have been forgiven for thinking their voice would send a message and perhaps even dampen down government enthusiasm for similar initiatives in future. That hope is being extinguished with Harris’s recent stated determination, “I have made a decision that we are going to pass a law in this space, I’m very clear on that.” In a healthy democracy, a government’s approach given a clear public rejection on related matters should be to bin the bill in its entirety. In a less than healthy democracy, an option would be to water it down to save face such that it is unenforceable. Either way, such governments could be forgiven for seizing upon the opportunity to make political capital by claiming they are the “government of the people”, “you have expressed your voice…we have listened…we will disregard the bill…we will continue to put the needs and wants of the country before politics…we are your trusted partners etc.” But in the post-democratic West when it comes to Identity Politics, ALL must bow before the post-Christian new gods and their doctrines.
What are the motivations for Hate Speech?
As just stated, the root drivers here are the enforcement of the new Identity Politics. It is to support the normalisation of beliefs and practices that pit Western societies against their Christian heritage.
One has to stop and think, “are there really genuine concerns here to minimise hate?” After all, Simon Harris stated in the same RTÉ interview: “Hate crime is not a pretend crime, it is a very real thing. If I want to be tough on law and order and support the Gardaí (Irish police), that means supporting the Gardai in pursuing all crimes, including hate crimes.” The Taoiseach seems to be well meaning. But, apart from words, what we see in practice is a near-total bias of enforcement in favour of the New Marxist doctrines – LGBT, Multiculturalism, Post-Truth and Relative Truth to name a few. Actions speak louder than words. We see outrage from left-leaning politicians, the main stream media, state broadcasters, heads of police when words are spoken against the those who embody the doctrines. It doesn’t matter if the “wrong” words were spoken without there being any hate in the heart or not, the opportunity is capitalised upon. Off to the gallows you shall go with full public spectacle. Conversely, hateful words spoken against conservative proponents are mainly ignored. As a case in point, it is astounding to note that the UK’s Labour government is considering “Islamophobic” laws at a time when the UK public is already feeling threatened by an increasingly loud Islamic voice in support of Hamas and or Palestine. If we all stop to objectively look at how Hate Speech is enforced, the pattern of bias cannot be denied.
Effective Hate Speech – a better way
As has been pointed out by The Irish Independent, journalist Lorraine Courtney, these laws will “exacerbate societal divisions by promoting identity politics”. They will continue to lead to a warping of justice as those with the protected characteristics are favoured over others.
If there is any desire left in Western governments to serve the electorate instead of a globalist anti-Judeo-Christian heritage agenda, they must stop and recognise the only way back is to perform a full public U-turn. Despite the right and wrong morality of the argument, that would be a vote winner.
The reality is, if you truly want to police hate, you cannot police words as it is the heart that needs policing. The motivation for hate is in the heart. When a state attempts to police hate by monitoring words, it will inevitably force on a population its own definition of what is right and wrong, irrespective of the true motivations of the heart.
True hate is a consequence of the West turning its back on the Christian God who values human dignity and respect for all. The non-sticking-plaster fix is to ditch the new ideologies and re-align ourselves back to God. As the Apostle Paul wrote to those in Corinth in the 1st century, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.