Battery Park

Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech

Here's a big one part of the First Amendment that, in another forum, I'm getting into things in a big way.  Here is a typical modern interpretation:

Free speech is the right to piss people off.

No, no, no, no, no!!!  The First Amendment is NO SUCH THING.  There is no more right to irritate other people than there is a fundamental right to blow smoke in their faces.  The First Amendment is a limitation on what the GOVERNMENT may do, but it has absolutely no bearing on what we, as individuals, and as a community, may do.

Churches may expel blasphemers.  Women groups may expel sexists.  Yes, even the NCAA may cease any 'Native American' team names, and it is NOT an infringement of free speech- it is an assertion of the right to peaceably assemble, and as part of that assembly, determine rules for behavior in that forum.  All that the First Amendment forbids is any actual LAW stipulating restrictions on speech.

If you want to yell obscenities, do so in your living room.  If you want to preach sexist ideas, form your own He-man Woman-Haters Club.  The government can not stop you from doing so.  

Furthermore... if the free market place of ideas is to work in our society, there have to be two factors at play.  First, as the First Amendment guarantees, is the ability for all ideas to be discussed.  But second, and even more vital, is the responsibility of citizens to clearly articulate what are acceptable ideas, and what ideas ought to be shunned by "reasonable" citizens.  Naturally there is going to be disagreement, especially on the fringes.  The Freedom of Speech does not mean we shouldn't disagree... no, it means that we are compelled to establish "community norms," based on our selected community, and enforce our own standards on an individual basis.  We have to be our own censors, because we will not allow the government to take that role.

Freedom without responsibility is chaos.