Not so long ago, in another forum, you asked me to apologize to another member for being rude. Essentially, you asked me to be decent to this person. I took your advice and apologized.
I do not see freedom of speech as a goal unto itself. It is a means to an end. It allows anyone to come forth with a stated purpose. It strikes me that if I want people to even listen to my purpose, let alone have them support it, I need to be decent, that is to show a reasonable level of kindness and consideration. If I am simply shouted down, what then is the value of this right.
I believe your concept of freedom of speech exists only on a theoretical level. In the real world, it would result in chaos. Without decency there would be no community. In fact there would be no civilization. It would be he with the greater numbers and weapons who would prevail.
Saddam wasn't being particularly decent and look what happened to him.
In the end, decency is a choice. I choose to be decent. Being human, I may deviate from that choice from time to time, but it is a discipline I choose to practice.
Conner
P.S. One more thing, it would be decent of you to spell my name correctly.