"17 percent said people should not be allowed to express unpopular opinions."
That sad opinion is also held by too many adults.
Does that surprise you? How many people on this very board talk about censoring pornography or the content of television shows?
Broad, unequivocal freedom of the press is not something that too many people really cotton to. Start talking about things like child porn, and you'll see people take a whole new view of freedom of the press.
Lots of times I will post something unpopular on FR just to see what the reaction will be. Last night I posted "Fry the big fish, too ^"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1334022/posts
As expected, it took damn near 50 posts before the thinkers started coming out of the shadows and a debate actually started.
These dizzy broads that scream just to see their 'name' in print need to be regulated to a different side of FR. perhaps, the brainless, high emotion side. They don't even think before they post...... "Follow the crowd" seems to be their motto.
How in the hell can we ever expect to get the good ideas in print for the Congressional staffers to give to the legislators?