> Free speech is table stakes for a free society. Those claiming otherwise are playing with fire. >> Referring to free speech in indirect terms creates a prob

> Free speech is table stakes for a free society. Those claiming otherwise are playing with fire. >> Referring to free speech in indirect terms creates a problem, because it denies the grey. Free speech arguments are all about determining the correct gradient of grey for society. Being able to identify and understand grey area is a strong signal of being informed. The grey area is why people who are knowledgeable are unsure and people who know nothing are confident. One sees complexities, the other is blind to them. "Free speech is table stakes for a free society" is not code for "I believe every entity should have the inviolable right to say whatever they want whenever they want." – I interpret it to mean "A society can't be free unless one of its founding principles is freedom of expression." Another sentiment it expresses is, "we should start from the position that what happens to be expressed is allowable unless it falls under a category where we deem it to be curtailed – versus – speech is strictly regulated, it's a privilege rather than a right, we need to explicitly enumerate the areas where it is unregulated". You're not interpreting what they said charitably in my opinion. And saying "You know things aren't black or white, they're grey" is rather pointless a lot of the time in because you can just counter the supposed argument without the additional lecturing meta-observation which to be honest comes across as kind of condescending to my ears. Lastly – it's not some massive revelation that there are limitations to freedom of expression: “Freedom of speech is not regarded as absolute by some with most legal systems generally setting limits on the freedom of speech, particularly when freedom of speech conflicts with other rights and protections, such as in the cases of libel, slander, pornography, obscenity, fighting words, and intellectual property. Some limitations to freedom of speech may occur through legal sanction, and others may occur through social disapprobation.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech#Limitation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech#Limitation