Andrew Napolitano on Reconciling Racially Hateful Speech With Freedom

Cliven Bundy should be happy for the public revelation of the private comments of fellow racist Donald Sterling. The latter has replaced the former as the person Americans most love to hate. These two bigots recently spewed racial hatred: Bundy suggesting that African-Americans might do well to consider slavery over freedom, and Sterling offering disjointed comments that reveal his evident beliefs in white supremacy.

So what to do with them because of their speech? Nothing, argues Andrew Napolitano—or at least nothing involving the legal system. The government has no business cleansing the public marketplace of hateful ideas. But hateful and hurtful words have natural and probable consequences where the people are free to counter them. The most effective equalizer for hatred is the free market.