A short piece by George Lakoff makes the distinction crystal clear.
Unfortunately, that distinction is not generally accepted in the United States, and as a result a great deal of bigotry is tolerated on the grounds of First Amendment rights.
For example, the Charlottesville march by neo-Nazis, the KKK, and other white nationalists was defended by many as an exercise of free speech.
Here is Lakoff’s article: Why Hate Speech Is Not Free Speech.