Moronic comment trolls aside, this remains an interesting topic. Peggy Noonan wonders why the left thinks that they are entitled to a monopoly on free speech:

What is most missing from the left in America is an element of grace--of civic grace, democratic grace, the kind that assumes disagreements are part of the fabric, but we can make the fabric hold together. The Democratic Party hasn't had enough of this kind of thing since Bobby Kennedy died. What also seems missing is the courage to ask a question. Conservatives these days are asking themselves very many questions, but I wonder if the left could tolerate asking itself even a few. Such as: Why are we producing so many adherents who defy the old liberal virtues of free and open inquiry, free and open speech? Why are we producing so many bullies? And dim dullard ones, at that.

This is because the Left hates freedom and hates America.

Yeah, Bill, but Why? Are they as psychologically damaged in their own way as the Islamics are?

I get the impression that the hard core Left is so convinced of their own moral and intellectual superiority (with very little grounds for those beliefs, IMO) that anyone who disagrees with them is automatically stupid and/or evil. Why should they feel the need to listen to stupid people? And shouldn't "evil" be confronted?

The hard core Left seems to have a problem with projection - they actually do the things they accuse the Right of doing (without basis).

If they didn't hate freedom, they wouldn't want more government control over our lives and pocketbirds. In other words, they wouldn't be Left.

As Noonan points out, they have no grace. They are EVIL! They hate America! They hate freedom! So I hate them!!!

Interesting choice of turning points, given that RFK was assassinated by a Palestinian terrorist. That should have been the shot heard 'round the world, but we didn't wake up until 33 years later.

I forget the source of the quote, but this says it best, "Conservatives think liberals are stupid...liberals think conservatives are evil"
After all, the left has convinced themselves (and few others, it seems) that those on the right are bigots, sexists, racists, etc.....why SHOULD they listen to us, or even give us a right to speak?

Remember, it is an element of faith among the left that free speech does NOT apply to a whole host of 'undesirable' opinions (i.e. hate speech)...

F#&*#k'em all...

Liberals also have the worldview that they are smarter and better than other people. It sounds absurd, but they do. Consequently if you are not a liberal, you are _by definition_ stupid and wicked. And therefore they have the right -- if not the _duty_ to silence you. Because they know better and are better people.

Pot, Kettle, Black.

This problem is going to persist until all sides grow up and stop framing every political issue as red vs. blue and 'loves america' vs. 'america/freedom hating terrorist'.

Leftists have a distorted view of freedom. Leftists are utopians. A perfect society requires a single uniform creed to be embraced by all its culture. That cannot exist while dissidents are allowed to influence society.

Speech rights are subordinate to the greater "freedoms" represented by the various promises of utopia - welfare statism, redistributionist tax policies, discriminatory employment and academic enrollment policies for the sake of equalizing demographic representation in businesses and colleges, safety from private gun ownership and high-fat foods, instituting appeasement and disarmament policies in order that the US will have fewer enemies, etc. Speech must be regulated to protect society from ideas that will hinder the emergence of utopia.

I'll see Alan's leftist utopians and raise him James Dobson -- admittedly not an exact analogue; I think leftist utopianism has a lot more vectors, for one thing. But the totalitarian temptation knows few boundaries. Chris' suggestion that we all grow up is on target.

I pretty much decided to be a republican when I saw a simple stupid chart in my gov't 101 book that basically equated conservative to more money, less personal freedom. Then liberal was less money, more personal freedom. In that context I knew liberalism was a scam because personal freedoms are so subjective whereas money is tangible and can be accounted. One man's freedom is another person's prison and besides the more money you have the greater degree of freedom one person can afford. Whether conservative or liberal, personal freedoms will always be a matter of debate but more money? Just tell me where the line starts here.