Freedom of speech is a right. Rights in theory come with commensurate responsibilities. Power without responsibility or accountability ultimately corrupts. The risk is not that people will shirk their responsibilities, it is that too many will, without consequence, and there will be a reaction. The reaction will be censorship or worse and ultimately that right can be taken away or limited. Thus, the advocates of unfettered free speech may be arguing for a just cause, but they are also spelling the doom of their cause if they do not also argue for judicious use of that right people will ultimately decide that its not worth it and the right will die.

Ultimately, in my humble view, the pr...

Freedom of speech is a right. Rights in theory come with commensurate responsibilities. Power without responsibility or accountability ultimately corrupts. The risk is not that people will shirk their responsibilities, it is that too many will, without consequence, and there will be a reaction. The reaction will be censorship or worse and ultimately that right can be taken away or limited. Thus, the advocates of unfettered free speech may be arguing for a just cause, but they are also spelling the doom of their cause if they do not also argue for judicious use of that right people will ultimately decide that its not worth it and the right will die.

Ultimately, in my humble view, the press is paradoxically responsible because they take no responsibility for what they put on the air or in the paper. They argue that "the public has a right to know." Well actually thats not technically true. There is no right to know, there is only a right to speak and to publish. The press shirks its responsibility for it's choice to speak or publish, by arguing this right to know. Similarly the folks on the internet who are particularly argue that they speak because they have a right. True, but it is their choice and ultimately they are responsible for what they write. Doing something "because you can" is the ultimate expression of corrupt power.