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In observing the state of conversation around free speech ideals, I’m always struck by the fact that they folks on all sides are strongly in favor of it, until it comes to people they don’t like freely saying things they don’t like.

Then too many folks shrink from principles.

Not me. Pretty much free speech absolutist here. 

There are some limited areas (defamation, true/credible threats, incitement, etc) that the SCOTUS has ruled are not protected. And for those areas, that makes sense. But given how narrow they are, I don't think supporting them jeopardizes my claim to be a free speech absolutist. 

Popehat talks a lot about how libel lawsuits are often infringements of free speech

Yes, the issue is that they're functionally used to chill speech, which is why he advocates for robust anti-SLAPP protection laws. 

However I don't think that is an indication that defamation should be legal. And unlike some of the stuff going on the UK, defamation is NOT a criminal matter, it's a civil tort. Which IMHO puts it in a completely different category. 

Not me. Pretty much free speech absolutist here.

I am from a viewpoint neutrality perspective but I do disagree with some of what has been done in the name of free speech.  

Specifically, I disagree with the SCOTUS holding in Cohen v California.  Here are the details:

During the Vietnam War Paul Robert Cohen wore a jacket with "F*ck the Draft" written on it.  SCOTUS ultimately ruled that this was protected as free speech.  

There are a couple of issues here.  One is that "Political Speech" has been given greater deference by the courts than non-political speech.  There is a very good reason for this.  The Framers didn't create a protection for Free Speech to protect commercial speech, Free Speech was and is specifically protected by the Constitution because they wanted to protect Political Speech.  

My law professor asked whether a jacket that had "I really, REALLY don't like the draft" would be as powerful a political statement as the one in this case.  

My issue with this case is not the viewpoint.  My issue is that I believe that the speech can be protected with limitations on the manner in which the issue is presented publicly.  Specifically, it is due to this case that there are several trucks running around my town with "F*ck Joe Biden" flags flying off of them and it is also why (to tie this back to CFB), if you go to THE GAME this fall in Columbus you'll see dozens of "F*ck Michigan" shirts and if you go next year in Ann Arbor you'll see dozens of "F*ck Ohio State" shirts.  

From a legal perspective, I do not believe that the profanity is necessary to the speech at least in a public setting.  If you have a rally fine.  On the public street, I believe that local government should be permitted to proscribe profanity.  

In theory you could make a ruling that protected the "F*ck the Draft" shirts and the "F*ck Joe Biden" flags without protecting the "F*ck Michigan" and "F*ck Ohio State" shirts.  You could accomplish this by prohibiting restrictions of profanity with regard to Political Speech but NOT other speech.  As a practical matter I can't imagine this working.  

From a legal perspective, I do not believe that the profanity is necessary to the speech at least in a public setting.  If you have a rally fine.  On the public street, I believe that local government should be permitted to proscribe profanity. 

Why? Because some weirdos decided that "f*ck" is a bad word but "fornicate", "screw", "boff", "slip her the salami", and other things aren't. 

You're essentially being the exact definition of what @bayareabadger describes. "I like free speech, but do they have to swear so much? I think we should be able to stop that."

To which I say, "f*ck that noise". 

Still, you would think he would do well against a Muslim terrorist with clear hatred for anything American? Not in Leftasota I guess. 

This feels like inventing characters just to hate them. Which I guess is typical in politics these days.

Though Republicans in Minnesota endorsed and nominated Royce White for for Senate, formerly of the NBA, who owes thousands in child support and is mired in campaign finance allegations from spending campaign money at a strip club in Florida. He said he liked the food there. Maybe our Floridians can make a trip and let us know how the food is. He's also besties with Alex Jones.

how are you so sure w/o research?