Something that I think is important about the concept of free speech is that journalists and authors shouldn't be attempting to worry about the first and second

Something that I think is important about the concept of free speech is that journalists and authors shouldn't be attempting to worry about the first and second order effects of their writings. They can't possibly correctly predict them, because people can't predict the future. Just take all of your thoughts on digital books on Kindle, switch them to a collection of physical publishers who have a monopoly on printing presses, and ask yourself if you still think it's ok. What if it's your opinion next time that is censored? An Australian doctor discovered (about 20 years ago I believe) that a species of bacterium played a huge role in peptic ulcers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Marshall https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Marshall He was censored, shunned from the medical establishment, and laughed at for years. He was correct. Why do you place so much blind faith in these institutions to a point where you just KNOW it will never be you being censored? Are you a uniquely enlightened human being who has never had an idea that the majority of the people in the room completely disagreed with? The medical establishment was censoring Barry Marshall because they were worried about the first and second order effects of people trying to treat ulcers with antibiotics. It was dangerous, they said. How long before the guns get turned on you, me, or others?