A Utah man is now facing hate crime charges for threatening the life of an African American child. Robert Keller wrote to the child’s parents, a white couple, stating he would kill the couple or the child if he was not removed from the neighborhood because their family was interracial.
Keller stated in an interview with KUTV:
?To me, it’s not a threat, it’s my opinion, which I should be allowed to? Of course, I wrote it down, which was a mistake.?
Yep. Free speech is his justification.
So what prompted such an angry and hate-filled letter?
The Daily Herald reported:
Prosecutors say Keller was upset the black teenager was socializing with white girls in his neighborhood. He allegedly wrote letters to the teen’s interracial family threatening to kill them if the youth didn’t move away.
Keller was happy to confirm in the interview with KUTV that he wrote the letter and shared what he would do.
??I think I wrote I’d slice his head off.?
Last time I checked, yes, we are guaranteed the right to free speech. However, terroristic threats are not covered by the First Amendment, especially so when it is fueled by hate. I’m not sure where Mr. Keller gets the idea?that?a hate crime?is protected?by the right to free speech, and I’m pretty sure I don’t want to know either. Hopefully, he will tell the judge in full detail his ?opinion.?
Watch the interview with KUTV below.
