[mrout]

Sorry for the harsh language, but that's fucking ridiculous in this context.

Free speech? Free speech doesn't exist so that people can make ridiculous comments like 'taking comments from the public into account when making policy is mob rule'. Free speech exists so that people can make those comments on policy and have them heard.

[nerdponx]

You're wrong too --- but only in my opinion. What free speech really "exists for" is hard to pin down[1].

It's actually an interesting legal perspective. These are unelected officials, appointed by an indirectly elected official (albeit confirmed by directly elected ones) interacting directly with the public. It's a bizarre reversal of the Jeffersonian republic, like a direct democracy nested deep inside a republic. The fact that the poster is totally wrong does not alone make the idea worth censoring.

If you don't listen to people who disagree with you, how can you hope to engage them in debate? Case in point: you got downvoted so many times you were [flagged] and [dead], and I vouched for you. 1) You didn't deserve it. 2) I wanted to bring you back so I could make the point that, under your idea of free speech, you'd still be [dead].

[1]: https://www.thefire.org/a-reminder-about-shouting-fire-in-a-...

[tn135]

> Free speech? Free speech doesn't exist so that people can make ridiculous comments like 'taking comments from the public into account when making policy is mob rule'. Free speech exists so that people can make those comments on policy and have them heard.

You are flat out WRONG.

Free speech exists for all sort of speech including mocking, ridiculing and being outright stupid and retarded too.

> Free speech exists so that people can make those comments on policy and have them heard.

Free speech has nothing to do with policy, government, state or laws. It is an independent right that exists for no specific purpose other than itself.

And in this case it appears to be "free speech for you as long as you voice your support for me".