[Gene Eric]

>> The whole idea of the First Amendment is to protect offensive speech.

Offensiveness is relative and subjective. But the 1st Amendment is absolute in terms of preventing enforceable constraints on any speech save the criminal variants of incitement.

[mrsmel]

Like a leader of the Black Panthers telling his followers, in plain English (or plain ebonics), to go attack nurseries where white babies are. But I haven’t heard one hypocrite on the left call him out,

[justlurking]

But the 1st Amendment is absolute in terms of preventing enforceable constraints on any speech save the criminal variants of incitement.

This is where a lot of people are going mushy.

Too many people think that "exhibiting an offensive cartoon" is "inciting criminal behavior".

That's stupid. Being offensive to some or all people isn't incitement. If someone decides to commit a crime in response, that's THEIR decision, and THEIR responsibility.

I wish I was in a position to reply to these idiots, every time:

If exhibiting a offensive cartoon is incitement of violence, then dressing provocatively must be incitement of rape.

I really want to see them twist themselves into a pretzel to rationalize any kind of difference.