Good Morning LGF.

Rant on:

I find it physically sickening to watch as good people exercise such restraint and tie themselves up in constitutional knots while the precious right to freedom of speech is so brazenly abused by assorted political and religious zealots and racists as a cover for their openly discriminatory, hate-filled, xenophobic, pet grievances.

Holocaust denial, tolerance or even approval of genocides, calls for mass deportations of entire religious groups, vilification of the entire capitalist system, violent religious fundamentalism, attacks on the scientific curriculum, and any number of other assaults on our societal structures - take your pick. As the shrill cacophony increases in volume and scope, the sheer noise threatens to drown out attempts at rational discussion and debate of important mainstream political and religious issues.

Is it paranoid to worry that all this screaming and hatred may ultimately result in the limits of free speech soon being overwhelmed and even submerged - not because of any particular position, but rather because of the cumulative disruption of society’s ability to conduct rational debate? And if so, can the erosion of cherished liberties be far behind?

Rant off.