Kudos for raising the 'chilling effect'. People who agitate for -insane- laws which can be applied to speech (whether lying, name-calling or whatever) have no concept of the chilling effect that laws have on discourse.
A lot of people seem to agitate for the ability to use the power of the state to shut up their enemies or critics, failing to realise that when they silence their enemies, they also silence themselves.
In many cases, the process itself is the punishment. Who wants to go to court, hire lawyers, stress and time to defend themselves against an accusation, even when you are overwhelmingly correct? The far easier choice is to shut it and say nothing. That is the very antithesis of freedom of speech. Even well-known journalists and opinion writers with the legal resources of large media companies have better things to spend their money and time on.
Freedom of speech is the most fundamental of all freedoms. Yes, that means the freedom to lie, the freedom to say nasty things, the freedom to be unpatriotic. Grant the freedom of speech and you can use it to defend all other freedoms.
The best defense against lies is the freedom to stand up and call it as one.
A lot of people seem to agitate for the ability to use the power of the state to shut up their enemies or critics, failing to realise that when they silence their enemies, they also silence themselves.
In many cases, the process itself is the punishment. Who wants to go to court, hire lawyers, stress and time to defend themselves against an accusation, even when you are overwhelmingly correct? The far easier choice is to shut it and say nothing. That is the very antithesis of freedom of speech. Even well-known journalists and opinion writers with the legal resources of large media companies have better things to spend their money and time on.
Freedom of speech is the most fundamental of all freedoms. Yes, that means the freedom to lie, the freedom to say nasty things, the freedom to be unpatriotic. Grant the freedom of speech and you can use it to defend all other freedoms.
The best defense against lies is the freedom to stand up and call it as one.