The Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals heard arguments to decide if a former Air Force officer’s racial slur was “fighting words” so not protected by the First Amendment. The officer was convicted in district court. During the hearing a judge stated that the issue was “whether the n-word was specifically directed at an individual in circumstances where violence could result and is likely to do so.” The defense claimed the officer’s words were phrased as a question and not intended to be taken as offensive speech. (Courthouse News Service, December 10, 2020, by Erika Williams)
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