Ms. Watson discovers how ignorant many people are about what free speech really is about. I can reference Black Americans as niggers as my right of free speech. It is rude and hateful and I would never do it meaningfully since I hate what it stands for. But I have the right to use it. The Westboro Baptist Church says hateful things at funerals of soldiers and they disgust me with their beliefs and hate. But I have to defend their right to say what they say. A holocaust denier has the right to deny the holocaust. A flat-earther has the right to deny the earth is round. A creationist has the right to say god created the earth in 7 days. I don't have to agree with any of it and it should not be considered an endorsement of their message on my part if I defend their right to free speech. I have the right to say god does not exist. If you support free speech, you have to support my right to say that. I have the right to draw a picture of what I think Mohammed looks like. If you don't like it, fine, tell me about it. But you can't stop me from drawing it and making it public. Not legally. Not in this country. Today. I worry about tomorrow.
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