Kevin Lewis opines: "But the First Amendment can be a real bitch sometimes."
Indeed, poor old DonDiego supposes the Founding Fathers included the Bill of Rights expressly to place an obstacle in the path of an over-reaching Government, . . . like f'rinstance one trying to criminalize use of a common epithet.
[edited to add]
Oh, . . . Oh, . . . Oh, . . .
It just occured to poor old DonDiego that when he was just a youngster his Mother taught him the perfect response to being called a name:
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, . . .
. . . but names will never hurt me."
Application of this remedy would be far superior to outlawing a word, even a malicious word.
Perhaps the Massachusetts legislators did not have the benefit of wise Mothers.
