Judge Andrew Napolitano: Even hateful, hurtful and harmful speech is protected speech

...The speech we love needs no protection. The speech we hate does. The government has no authority to evaluate speech. As the framers understood, all persons have a natural right to think as we wish and to say and publish whatever we think. Even hateful, hurtful and harmful speech is protected speech.

Yet in perilous times like the present, we have seen efforts to use the courts to block the publication of unflattering books. We have seen state governors use the police to protect gatherings of protesters with whose message they agreed and to disburse critical protesters. We have seen mobs silence speakers while the police did nothing.

Punishing speech is the most dangerous business because there will be no end to it. The remedy for hateful or threatening speech is not silence or punishments; it is more speech — speech that challenges the speaker.

Why do folks in government want to silence their opponents? They fear an undermining of their power. The dissenters might make more appealing arguments than they do. St. Augustine taught that nearly all in government want to tell others how to live.

How about we all say whatever we want and the government leaves us alone?

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/freedom-of-speech-judge-andrew-napolitano

I sometimes disagree with Judge Nap but not this time. Really a well written article and worth the time to read in its entirety.

 

I've read several of his books, a big fan of the judge.

He's right again.

 

I used to watch "Freedom Watch" which was yanked by Fox because he was too outspoken against this rogue unconstitutional government. I was always surprised that his show was on Fox in the first place.

 

Freedom Watch was the only Fox show I ever watched with regularity. I too was shocked to see him on Fox.

 

This is why Freedom Watch was canceled:

 

Damn that was good to watch!