The three people walking through a dimly lit parking lot near a University of Connecticut student apartment complex probably didn’t know they were being watched. But as the trio crossed in front of an open window repeatedly saying the n-word louder and louder, a person inside wasn’t just observing — they were recording.

Now, university officials say an investigation into the 11-second video, which started to widely circulate on social media earlier this month, has prompted campus police to arrest and charge two students Monday night with violating a Connecticut hate crime statute.

Jarred Karal and Ryan Mucaj, both 21 and described by police as white, were charged with ridicule on account of creed, religion, color, denomination, nationality or race. The misdemeanor charge is punishable by a maximum of 30 days in jail, a fine of up to $50, or both, according to state law.

There’s a snowball’s chance that these charges are likely to stick as the First Amendment won’t allow someone shouting words to be punished, even if it’s the “n-word.” If that was the case, then the entire rap community, Hollywood writers and actors, and half the stand-up comedians in America better get ready for some jail time.

The thing is, the criminal charges aren’t the point. That any case against them for a hate crime for saying the “n-word” was a lost cause from the word “racist.”

As the analytical Twitter account known as “PoliticalMath” points out, this real punishment desired won’t come officially from government, but unofficially in the public square, which can be far more harsh and longer-lasting.

“The point of criminally charging these students for saying the n-word is not to actually have the gov’t punish them,” said PoliticalMath. “The real punishment is extra-judicial, to make sure a Google search of their names punishes them for many years to come.”

Social justice can act like an infection that takes over public discourse by creating sacred cows. While in other countries this may even begin to affect the way laws affect the populace, in a place like America, where freedoms that protected are clearly outlined, social justice advocates can have a much harder time punishing those by legal means.

Legal punishments are a very quick way to get everyone to fall in and obey you. However, in the absence of using the court systems to force your will on the populace, you have to get the populace to be your judge, jury, and executioner for you. The mob works just as good as the law if you can make it do what you want.

Here we see this in effect with these two men. While shouting the “n-word” is definitely something detestable, it’s not something someone should have their life destroyed over, especially if it’s not spoken in hate and is likely the result of youthful foolishness.

But self-appointed social justice police are very zealous about what people can and can’t do, and these two men crossed an unforgivable line. According to standard procedure, not only must they be punished, but they must also be made an example of. They want anyone who looks at these men to be reminded of what happens to people when they step out of line.

Be it the law or the mob, they’re going to teach you to obey. If they can’t legally silence you, then they’ll try to pressure you into silencing yourself.

This is not me saying that people should go around shouting the “n-word.” I am saying, however, that we’ve seen punishments being handed down for everything from “learn to code” to “men are not women,” and those attempting to silence you should get no capitulation, no matter what punishments they mete out.