Catholic Bishops did not join FCC petition on hate speech

The Department of Communications of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) says it did not join a petition to the Federal Communications Commission which called for discussion over "hate speech" and its alleged role in violence. Some critics of the petition have cast it as an effort to shut down radio show hosts like Rush Limbaugh. The Department of Communications sent its own letter noting the "serious constitutional and regulatory problems" associated with regulating alleged hate speech. The So We Might See Coalition, of which USCCB is a member, had organized a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. The letter and its related petition asked the FCC to open a "notice of inquiry into hate speech in the media" and to update a 1993 report on the role of telecommunications in hate crimes. The coalition said it is concerned about the possible connection between "hate speech" and violent crimes. It commented that immigrant, minority and religious segments of the population are often targeted by hate speech before being targeted by physical hate crimes.