Freedom of Speech

We all have the right to it. We have the right to blather on like idiots, if we so chose, about topics on which we are poorly informed. We have the right to blog, and say silly or perverse or astute or snarky things. The media has a tendency to hide behind it. The government has a tendency to exploit it (hell, all governments d0). It's something we take for granted.

However, the downside of this is that people use this freedom to extend their speech into personal attacks on people. Not only does this negate any argument the person wishes to offer, it's downright rude. The person under attack has three choices: respond in kind, ignore the request, or wittly find some way to defuse the situation.

Just want to make sure that everyone understands that your free speech does have limits imposed on polite society, and that if you say something someone finds offensive or rude, you should be prepared to be corrected.