People are asking, “is free speech worth the cost?” We ponder that question. Then we become caught in a crossfire. On one side, some people will claim it prudent to censor hateful and disrespectful expression. Meanwhile, other people will claim that any limitation on speech threatens open inquiry and free exchange of ideas. But this crossfire does not exist, for one of its underlying assumptions is imaginary. Truly “free” speech is a fiction; it is neither attainable nor desirable in the real world of everyday human affairs. When I was a young boy, my parents taught the old proverb, “if...
People are asking, “is free speech worth the cost?” We ponder that question. Then we become caught in a crossfire. On one side, some people will claim it prudent to censor hateful and disrespectful expression. Meanwhile, other people will claim that any limitation on speech threatens open inquiry and free exchange of ideas. But this crossfire does not exist, for one of its underlying assumptions is imaginary. Truly “free” speech is a fiction; it is neither attainable nor desirable in the real world of everyday human affairs. When I was a young boy, my parents taught the old proverb, “if...