Ross Gerber, co-founder, president and CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to claim that he was “seeing lots of hate speech” on the platform.
Offering no examples to support his assertion, the CEO responded to a tweet from X owner Elon Musk, who said: “To be super clear, I’m pro free speech, but against anti-Semitism of any kind.”
Gerber took the extra step to claim that hate speech is “not ‘free’ or protected speech.”
Seeing lots of hate speech on X lately… that’s not “free” or protected speech.
— Ross Gerber (@GerberKawasaki) September 4, 2023
Musk faults the Anti-Defamation League for lost advertising revenue since he acquired the social media platform and said in a follow-up post that X has “no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit” against the group to clear its name.
Since the acquisition, The @ADL has been trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 4, 2023
To clear our platform’s name on the matter of anti-Semitism, it looks like we have no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League … oh the irony!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 4, 2023
But back to Gerber, his tweet earned a Community Notes fact check, which stated, “Supreme Court unanimously reaffirms: There is no ‘hate speech’ exception to the First Amendment.”
Social media users took him to school, as it is wont to do, on the issue of free speech — here’s a quick sampling of the responses to the story as seen on X:
That incorrect with the simplest example being “yelling fire in a packed theater “ is not free or protected speech. This was actually what I studied in school. Annenberg school of communications.
— Ross Gerber (@GerberKawasaki) September 4, 2023
Yes it is. The very definition of protected speech, you imbecile.
— TomFullery (@TomFullerty) September 4, 2023
You have a sophomore in high school’s understanding of this issue. A dumb sophomore. Embarrassing.
— Matt Bilinsky (@mattbilinsky) September 4, 2023
“Hate speech” is free speech. SCOTUS confirmed 9-0.
— Floridian FA/FO (@RandomFLDude) September 4, 2023
Ross you get fed by the algo what you look for. Maybe stop being so hateful?
— Ryan Scanlan (@Xenius101) September 4, 2023
I hate you.
Is that hate speech? Or is it free and protected? Both by chance?
— Diogenes Was Right (@DeGeneretti) September 5, 2023
What offends me might not offend you. That is the foundation of the first amendment. Think it through, buddy.
— CousinMert (@csnmert) September 5, 2023
Oh shut up Ross. Hate speech is protected speech. Otherwise you’re not allowed to spread your hate speech about those who practice hate speech. Ironic much?
— Ryan Johnson (@amdphreak) September 4, 2023
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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