Should Offensive Words Be Banned?

Should words like "nigger" and "faggot" be prohibited in public places? That's the question I will be discussing tonight on Paula Zahn Now on CNN. "They are words that cut like a knife," says the official CNN description of the show. "But should derogatory statements be banned?"

In the wake of the Isaiah Washington and Michael Richards episodes, everyone is talking about hate speech. I've written about these two incidents before and criticized both Washington and Richards for their inflammatory language. But what other consequences, if any, should they face? As a general rule, I believe in free speech, and I usually do not support efforts to ban language, even if that language is offensive to me. And by the way, both "nigger" and "faggot" are offensive to me. But just because the words should not be banned doesn't mean the people who use those words harmfully should not suffer consequences.