I also think the story of Megan Phelps-Roper is extremely instructive. She was a member of Westboro Baptist Church, the rabid protestors most are familiar with. Was. She isn’t any longer. And her realization of the harm being done by her church and family came about through “combative” experiences on Twitter. If she had been banned for posting hate speech, she would still be a member of the church and still increasing the number of protestors appearing at soldiers funerals and similar things. If the person who challenged her deeply held personal and religious beliefs had been banned for hate speech or classified as a ‘troll’ for expressing disagreement, her sister, who left the church with her, would also still be a member and there would be at least 2 less people currently fighting for gay equality and 2 more people advocating for the death of homosexuals.
