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The legal concept regarding freedom of speech as in the First Amendment only applies to governments, yes. But the moral ideal of freedom of speech is for every
by vikingerik 4y ago
The legal concept regarding freedom of speech as in the First Amendment only applies to governments, yes.
But the moral ideal of freedom of speech is for everyone, and individuals and organizations can support and espouse it or censor and suppress it.
We need a concept to distinguish these, like "free as in legal" versus "free as in voice".
As for the argument that freedom of speech doesn't apply to misinformation or danger or obscenity or whatever -- that just creates an arms race to declare everything you don't like as misinformation or dangerous or obscenity. You combat such things in the open market of ideas and exchange, not by censorship. That's just might-makes-right.