Why do young men pass off racist and sexist comments as ‘jokes’? | CNN

“It’s just jokes,” 19-year-old Lucas “Luke” Nevcherlian told his mother. The two were outside their family home in Edgewater, Florida, this past October, going over Luke’s internet history. That might make for an excruciating private exchange between many teenagers and their mothers. But the Nevcherlians were being recorded on a police officer’s bodycam, as an FBI agent read out a slew of sexist and antisemitic messages that Luke had allegedly been sharing online. “I hate women so much it’s unreal. Just seeing them makes me seethe with rage,” read one. “Total Jewish death now, bring it forth,” read another. “You might be thinking in your head that it’s just a joke,” his mother told him. “But it’s not a joke.” While not admitting to sending all the messages, Luke struck a defiant tone: “I don’t care, I can say all of this, this is free speech.” The FBI agent explained while the First Amendment protects all kinds of speech, it does not protect written threats. On the call for “total Jewish death now,” Luke had allegedly written to another person, “It will happen soon brother. It’s all falling into place.” Luke was arrested and charg