[tridentlead]

Freedom of speech has to do with freedom from government control over speech. However, what people who only talk about enshrined rights forget about is the American spirit. It is not in the spirit of America to destroy a life because of the least charitable interpretation of what they said. Much as the rules of Hackernews include engaging with the most charitable interpretation of someones post, so is common etiquette. We don't want to focus so much on the law that we forget who we are and how we should act. When you walk into an interview and call everyone "cunts" there isn't a charitable way to take that. When someone makes an OK symbol, there definitely is. Its true that you don't have to associate with anyone you don't want to, and I personally thing that should actually be a stronger right than it is currently interpreted as, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to work with people you don't like. If they say they want to kill you, re-evaluate, but if they don't like your political candidate, maybe take a step back and realize we're all Americans and all working together in the big picture.

[meheleventyone]

I guess you could give pause and think that the spirit of America is more accurately reflected in so called “cancel culture” than the romantic idyll of it you suggest. From an outside perspective the idea that it’s not in the spirit of America to destroy a life based on uncharitable interpretation doesn’t really square with things like the Iraq war, the death penalty and the very visible actions of the police over the past few weeks.