You know, I already went first. You guys are going to make me do it again. Okay, no worries.
You asked a lot of different questions, and I wrote them all down.
In terms of the exemption, I don't think there should be one. I think social media platforms and telecommunication companies should be just as responsible as individuals. We're putting so much responsibility and accountability on individuals who put messaging online, but it should also be on those who should be monitoring that and reporting it and who should also be doing that data collection, because according to a lot of the information we heard today, we don't even know sometimes what constitutes hate. I think the telecommunication companies should be doing a lot of that monitoring and should not be provided an exemption.
In terms of the definition of “hatred”, I have a definition. I don't think everyone would have that same definition. The human part of me would say that if someone looks at me and says that because I'm a Muslim woman and I'm black, I'm inferior to them, that constitutes hate for me, from just being human and what I feel, but if we're going to put it into terms that everyone understands, I would say—and I wrote this down—hatred is predicated on destruction. Hatred against identified groups, therefore, thrives on insensitivity, bigotry and destruction of both targeted groups and the values of our society. Hatred in this sense is the most dangerous emotion and contradicts reason, an emotion that if exercised against members of these identified groups, implies that those individuals are despised, scorned, denied respect and made subjects of ill treatment.
That would be my definition. I think it captures the human side of it, but also, I want to say, the legislation piece, because words matter, and when we talk about hatred and about hate crimes, they always start with words.
I think defining hatred is key, and I thank you for asking that question.