I'm usually impressed by the discussion on Hacker News but the amount of ignorance about the nature of the 1st Amendment and the difference between government a

I'm usually impressed by the discussion on Hacker News but the amount of ignorance about the nature of the 1st Amendment and the difference between government and private actions in this discussion is disheartening. The US 1st Amendment is a restriction on government actions not a restriction on private actions or private contracts. There may be other legal reasons why private actions might be controlled or regulated but please don't point to the 1st Amendment in order to justify that control. Finally, where do people get the idea that the concept of 'free speech' includes the notion that other people, companies, or the government are required to support and assist you in communicating your message? The freedom to 'speak' without government coercion is not a guarantee that your speech won't be met with ridicule, criticism, rejection, or counterargument and appeals to your 'free speech' rights being violated when that happens is absurd.