I believe in free speech. However, I also believe one should show a little sensitivity to the feelings of others.
If I'm having a conversation with someone and I say something against their religion which offends them, I would apologize for offending them and shut up. I wouldn't say "Tough shit. I'm only exercising my freedom of speech, and by the Constitution I can say whatever I want."
I have been in situations with people when they offended my Christian beliefs. I became irate myself, but I didn't resort to physical violence. I believe all physical violence is awful.
I heard the new editor of Charlie Hebdo interviewed on TV, because the former editor was murdered. The new editor never mentioned his predecessor, and I disagreed with the new editor in about everything he said: religion was a personal thing and should not be politicized. I agree, but it seems to me that making mocking cartoons is politicizing it. "Charlie" is a political magazine, not a spiritual one, so attacking spiritual subjects seems to me to be politicizing it. "Charlie" is doing their country harm all in the name of freedom of speech. There is such a thing as carrying a good thing too far. The new editor was a person that believed standing up for one's ideas or ideals was more important than life and death. I used to think that way myself, but I think I'm becoming more conservative in my sunset years. I no longer think that ideas are more important than people. Ideas change. Thinking that ideals are more important than people, is what makes wars.
Freedom of speech seems to be more curtailed in the U.S. than it is in France. I believe in freedom of speech, but I also believe in moderation. I don't believe in free speech when it shows a total lack of concern for other groups of people.
