LETTER: Free speech isn’t absolute

Many Trump supporters have been complaining about their rights to free speech being abridged. They cite Donald Trump’s ban from Twitter and the clamping down on platforms hosting groups spouting conspiracy theories. None seems to be aware that the right to free speech is not without bounds, as are all of the rights enumerated in our Constitution.

These boundaries aren’t expressly stated in the Constitution, but they do exist. Consider freedom of religion. Just ask Muslims or Mormons in this country if they can legally have more than one wife. Or our right to bear arms. Can a felon legally own a firearm? No. Can a law-abiding citizen legally own a fully automatic assault rifle. No. There are laws forbidding this.

When it comes to free speech, the Supreme Court ruled many years ago that the right to free speech does not extend to shouting “fire” in a crowded theater when, in fact, there is no fire. One could easily apply that same reasoning to the repeated shouting of “The election was rigged” when there is no credible evidence of such. Had there been evidence, Mr. Trump’s attorneys wouldn’t have lost every court case they filed.

We are not talking intellectual debate here. On Jan. 6 we all saw the result of spouting this nonsense.