Fighting words are:
“Words which by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace.”
This comes from the Supreme Court case Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942). The Court held that certain “well-defined and narrowly limited” categories of speech are not protected by the First Amendment—including fighting words.
Just being offensive isn’t enough. The speech has to be:
- Directed at a specific individual.
- Likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction.
You be the judge: Is showing up to a candlelight vigil for Charlie Kirk, then standing in the middle of the crowd yelling “Fuck Charlie Kirk” fit the category of “fighting words?” If so, it isn’t proteected speech. They guy that did exactly that did so because he wanted to incite a reaction from the crowd. He got what he wanted.
The cops had no business interfering with the ass whipping that he wanted, asked for, and was about to get.
17 Comments
Grumpy51 · September 12, 2025 at 7:17 am
Rules for thee, not for me…… I’ve seen this playbook before
JOe Blow · September 12, 2025 at 7:33 am
I’ve seen similar scenes in western movies. Someone does someone wrong, there’s a tussle, a gun goes off, dead body. Sheriff grabs the gun owner, crowd wants justice now.
I imagine there’s a Roman equivalent.
They used to lynch people from the oak tree in front of the courthouse when justice wasn’t found in the courtroom.
Today will be no different from yesterday.
Divemedic · September 12, 2025 at 8:15 am
That is the true purpose of police. They are there to protect your rights to a fair trial. Once the police and justice system pick sides, they are no better than a lynch mob.
SiG · September 12, 2025 at 8:30 am
So some moron decides to go into a prayer group supporting and expressing love for someone so that they (the moron) can scream obscenities at them.
Why, pray tell? The only reason I can think of is to get this sort of reaction. Start a riot, make those awful right wing people praying look bad to the loony left. The worse the screamer gets hurt the better that looks. If he gets “sacrificed” (killed) by the crowd, that’s as good as can be. All you need is someone dedicated enough to the cause to be willing to be beat up.
Divemedic · September 12, 2025 at 8:45 am
If blacks can punch people for uttering the so-called “N-word”…
Milton · September 12, 2025 at 10:30 am
I don’t disagree that he was begging for an ass-whuppin. Was disappointed that when the pigs arrived, that many people DID NOT say to them- I want to press charges against THAT GUY.
If a dozen or more said so, the outcome would likely be better.
Divemedic · September 12, 2025 at 2:32 pm
AS I recently discovered, it makes no difference. The guy who attacked a pregnant doctor before punching me in the face when I tried to stop him? Multiple depositions and almost a year later, still no trial.
SoCoRuss · September 12, 2025 at 11:22 am
I just cant understand why some of the vigil people jumped in to protect this piece of shit. They just cant seem to believe the new rules of life, they WILL pay for that mistake eventually.
Isn’t it funny how the cops always jump in to protect the bad guys when the good guys have their fill and fight back. Then this asshole after it was stopped started his shit again!. To me that means you didn’t get enough of a beatdown, so start phase 2 of a life lesson. The cops should have stood back for a few, but NO they just had to protect the instigator. If it had been a group of Antifa’s attacking a elderly old couple again, then the cops would have done nothing to stop it…Funny how that seems to be the rules isn’t it?
Folks on the right don’t get it, the .GOV isn’t here to protect you so stop playing by their rules. I’m not talking about starting something, but you dam sure need to put a stop to this and fight back.
Anonymous · September 12, 2025 at 11:56 am
F C.K. guy got off very lightly. Unlike a swarm of melaninites, he was permitted to get up and go away, presumably with his wallet, watch, phone and phagbike.
Note the pathetic hand to hand skills on display by everyone. Three seconds of physical contact with a sufficiently trained person and the guy isn’t going anywhere on his own, or anywhere that doesn’t involve professional medical attention. And what’s with the shrieking (presumable) females?
Divemedic · September 12, 2025 at 2:36 pm
There is always a screaming female.
Archer · September 12, 2025 at 1:06 pm
The cops have no business interfering, after they pointedly did NOT interfere with an Antifa/BLM mob trying to actually MURDER independent reporter Andy Ngo in Portland. IIRC, the “mostly peaceful” (hah!) mob literally trying to bash Andy’s skull with a club, and the cops on the corner watching couldn’t be bothered to lend a hand.
Different department, different officers, I know. But the precedent is set. You don’t get to selectively intervene or ignore; either intervene every time or ignore it every time, there’s no picking and choosing. You don’t get to save a Leftist being intentionally offensive, but let the mob have at an independent or conservative who’s just trying to quietly record and document the mob’s activities.
Divemedic · September 12, 2025 at 2:39 pm
Selectively enforcing the law IS picking sides. In this case, the commies. That’s why I have the no go zones listed at the top of the page
@HomeInSC · September 12, 2025 at 4:52 pm
I’m not in sync with the crowd here. I think that SCOTUS’ definition of fighting words is fucked up, wishy washy and even downright stupid. There is no need for the term ‘fighting words’.
Direct threats and immediate threats due to incitement seem like the limit on fighting words.
If you call someone a stupid f-ing moron that does not give them the right to assault you. You have not threatened them. Following them around and repeating insults is harassment, and could be seen as a threat.
The crowd attacking the idiot is as low as it gets, just another mob of stupid animals. Not people I with whom I would associate.
Aesop · September 13, 2025 at 10:47 am
Maybe explain to the class what “tend to incite” means, and get back to us.
That idiot embodied and enacted the exact definition of fighting words, as once a fight breaks out, you have de facto incited violence.
QED
If the police were going to intervene, they should have started by clubbing the inciter into submission with batons, while shouting “Stop inciting!”
Until they do that, they’re protecting incitement, which is not constitutionally protected speech.
@HomeInSC · September 13, 2025 at 5:22 pm
‘Tend to incite’ is part of the wishy washy SCOTUS failure.
Short of direct threats, it is the party that makes the leap from words to violence that is the criminal.
Aesop · September 13, 2025 at 10:43 am
They should have cut his head off. Learning would have occurred, for many people, at that point.
People like that are why Charlie Kirk is dead.
The time for half-assed measures passed last Wednesday about noon.
The Intermittent Missive – Charlie Part 2 – The Vine of Liberty · September 12, 2025 at 2:01 pm
[…] 12Sep2025 video – 00:01:55 – https://x.com/OldStateSaloon/status/1966157740801405287 https://areaocho.com/fighting-words/ Fighting words are: “Words which by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an […]
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