Just rereading some of what has been written. The part I disagree with is "free of retaliation". I think free speech as a concept only gives you the right to express yourself. I don't think it gives you the right to expect to be free of retaliation carte blanche.

There should be a certain degree of personal responsibility over what was said and the expected reaction it garners. On the flip side, the person responding also has a level of responsibility over their reaction. Everyone going nuclear helps no one and solves nothing.

Also want to say, thanks for the discussion. Really appreciate your perspective and it has given me points to think about.