Opinion | Hate Speech, Guns and the New Zealand Massacre

To the Editor:Re “Extremist Hate Fuels New Zealand Massacre[1]” (front page, March 16):Given that the horrific attacks in Christchurch were motivated at least in part by white nationalist message boards, the United States must proceed cautiously on how literally “free speech” should be understood online. Unmoderated internet echo chambers are a danger that the founding fathers never envisioned when they wrote the First Amendment. Prudent control wouldn’t make the United States oppressive. As an example, Germany has banned[2] the public display of Nazi or white nationalist symbols, effectively lowering white nationalist activity. Americans love the First Amendment, but as with the Second Amendment, we have to have a conversation. In this digital era, is unrestricted free speech worth the proliferation of hate, and potentially more tragic events like those in New Zealand?Andrew NiPrinceton, N.J.To the Editor:Words fail us in the face of this latest massacre, but the responses of government leaders around the world guide us. Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain, embracing Muslims worldwide, stated with simple eloquence, “As New Zealand has stood by us so we stand shoulder to shoulder with them, and with Muslims in New Zealand, here in the U.K. and around the world.” The prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, calling the massacre “one of New Zealand’s darkest days,” vowed to change gun laws.References^ Extremist Hate Fuels New Zealand Massacre (www.nytimes.com)^ Germany has banned (www.vox.com)

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