Quote Originally Posted by Squirt View Post
Free speech is a right but freedom from consequences of that speech is not.
I disagree. And the current state of law disagrees as well.

Free speech is not about protecting speech that other people agree with, it is about protecting speech that the majority _disagrees_ with. In order for that expression to be protected, there should be no consequences from voicing your opinions. The speaker should not be assaulted by onlookers, angry mobs, or police officers. The speaker should not be hauled off to jail and punished. The police should prevent attacks against the speaker and protect his right to make a fool out of himself.
HOWEVER, the unpopular speaker will always face being ostracized, outcast, and shunned but the unpopular speaker should not face any physical harm or government punishment for his expression.

Even hate speech is protected, so that stupid kid that drove his pickup truck with some nooses hanging from a bar over the truck bed will (likely) not be convicted of anything. What he did was stupid and abhorrent and hateful, but it is that kind of expression that cannot be suppressed.

The student with the bible verse on the T-shirt would have had full First Amendment free speech protections _outside_ of the school setting. Had that student worn the same T-shirt on the sidewalk outside a gay pride rally he would have had his full free speech protections. Wearing the t-shirt in a school setting, where order must be maintained and it is a legitimate government purpose to maintain a non-threatening environment, will get the poor misguided hateful bible beating schmuck a legitimate order to cover it up or get out.

In order for me to say the things I want to say, I have to tolerate the fact that people I really really really really don't like get to say what they want to as well.