> but I do not see any of the advocates of limiting free speech having the courage to tell what they really think in the face of those whom they want to protect.
It's not them I want to protect (though I don't have any explicit desire for them to _not_ be protected). It's me I want to protect. Your right to swing your fists ends at the tip of my nose, and your right to yell "Fire!" or "Stop the steal" or "Storm the Bastille!" are likewise constrained when they infringe on my rights.
The practical implementation and realisation of rights is always a trade-off of rights vs rights. What is under discussion is where the balance of those trade-offs lay.
Having said that, there is a very strong case to be made that we need to address people's propensity to listen to, invest in, and act on, obvious bullshit (e.g. flat-earthers, reptilians etc). More than education is required. My brother-in-law - a highly functioning, tertiary educated small business owner and nice guy - is a dyed-in-the-wool conspiracist, believing the most outrageous things. Having a rational discussion with him has not budged him from his beliefs one iota. I believe it's a psychological condition as common as depression or anxiety.
There are no easy answers nor quick fixes for this problem.
It's not them I want to protect (though I don't have any explicit desire for them to _not_ be protected). It's me I want to protect. Your right to swing your fists ends at the tip of my nose, and your right to yell "Fire!" or "Stop the steal" or "Storm the Bastille!" are likewise constrained when they infringe on my rights.
The practical implementation and realisation of rights is always a trade-off of rights vs rights. What is under discussion is where the balance of those trade-offs lay.
Having said that, there is a very strong case to be made that we need to address people's propensity to listen to, invest in, and act on, obvious bullshit (e.g. flat-earthers, reptilians etc). More than education is required. My brother-in-law - a highly functioning, tertiary educated small business owner and nice guy - is a dyed-in-the-wool conspiracist, believing the most outrageous things. Having a rational discussion with him has not budged him from his beliefs one iota. I believe it's a psychological condition as common as depression or anxiety.
There are no easy answers nor quick fixes for this problem.