The counter argument to this is that the First Amendment is the reason you’re not afraid of the police knocking in the middle of the night over something you sa

The counter argument to this is that the First Amendment is the reason you’re not afraid of the police knocking in the middle of the night over something you said. The law and 250 years of jurisprudence made it so. Having your healthcare removed as a result of your publicly stated opinions is just one of many other possible negative outcomes that has not been prevented in America. I might go so far as to say that the US doesn’t have free speech so much as decriminalized speech. (It’s not a perfect analogy in the sense that losing your job and healthcare isn’t identical to a fine, but it fits in reflecting the fact that prison isn’t the only punishment one can receive. Plus there are people financially situated such that the financial penalties of unpopular speech are immaterial. I’ll work on it.)