ABSTRACT
The Doghouse’s disablist allusions go beyond Hank. They include cliche Helen Keller jokes, and riddles about deaf people, persistent vegetative state, and obesity. The author Tom O’Connor writes that “humor does not have to be at the expense of a disabled person, but can be a sign of identification.” Under conventional legal analysis, restrictions on hate speech tend to be incompatible with the First Amendment’s protection of freedom of speech. Mari Matsuda, however, cites to numerous international conventions and other democratic nations’ laws which proscribe racist expression or speech. She also puts forth an argument for a narrow application of a prohibition of hate speech that preserves First Amendment values. In contrast, the United States has long cherished constitutional protections on freedom of expression, effectively shielding those who would promulgate hate, such as the producers and hosts of shock jock radio.
