This comic is really pernicious because it frames free speech as just a quirky law that restrains the government. That's like saying honesty is just about not

This comic is really pernicious because it frames free speech as just a quirky law that restrains the government. That's like saying honesty is just about not breaking perjury laws in court. In reality, free speech and free inquiry are social virtues that, like honesty, should be applied and upheld at every level of society, public and private, commercial, academic, and personal. Because free speech is a key mechanism to reach consensus and keep society functioning. This is becoming even more and more relevant as our "public squares" of discussion are no longer government-owned physical public squares, but rather online fora owned and controlled by mega-corporations. It's disturbing enough that Facebook or Google could easily turn an election on their whim, and it would be legal. It's even more disturbing that a whole lot of people are loudly proclaiming that this is fine, totally okay, and ethical, just because they think their views will never be the ones that get silenced. So yeah, that cartoon is terrible.