[rcocean]

Amazing, a column in the Nation I actually agree with.

Where are the freedom loving conservatives not speaking out on this issue?

[Darkwolf377]

Where are the freedom loving conservatives not speaking out on this issue?

I'm usually the one who asks that question, but in this case I have to ask, with respect, where have you been? Do a search and just look at all the conservative columnists who've written about this.

[MNJohnnie]

There is NOT an absolute right to Free Speech. The biggest problem in this whole debate is the utter ignorance of what Free Speech ACTUALLY means. You cannot yell "this is a hijacking" on an airplane. It is not a free speech issue for wacko protesters to go to a funeral and "protest".

[kjo]

Yeah. I had to look three times to see the byline of THE NATION. I am quite surprised that THEY would have this line.

Any time the far Left supports free speech over political correctness, something important is going on.

[Unam Sanctam]

For once I agree with Mr. Scheer. The complete abandonment of free speech by the Left has been truly amazing.

[Lorianne]

Speech that is not felt by some powerful group to be loathsome is hardly in need of protection.

There is a caveat built in to his argument in the first sentence. This not a free speech absolutist.

[BohDaThone]

Scheer is an OLD Lefty -- sometimes such folks actually believe the free speech rhetoric they championed in the 50s and 60s -- when they needed it, and still believed that it would help them win. Much of the Old Left, and practially all of the new Left, only champions free speech when they think it will help them win, and abandon it as soon as they see that it is being used to beat them.

Still, we should honor those, at least on this issue, like Nat Hentoff, Nadine Strossen, and Scheer on this point, who have retained the courage of their convictions -- on this point, at least.