Free speech does not demand we listen

My friend and debate partner responds to yesterday's posting about the gathering storm over marriage and Fundies who want to protect their own "core civil rights."

This is the typical error by people who want their civil rights but don't care about those of others...

The "core civil rights" the fundies want are of course to make the world comfortable for themselves, a place where they don't have to face unwelcome changes. This defines a world where everyone else would be very uncomfortably straight-jacketed, but they don't care about that. The civil rights of LGBTs are of no concern to them. Indeed, they would be happiest if LGBTs would all return to the closet and become invisible. The fundies could again make believe there are no such people.

This is really about free speech. The fundies don't want to have to deal with unwelcome truths -- for example, the existence of LGBT lives -- but the message is always in their faces and has been since about 1980, thanks to free speech. Their only legitimate and legal choice is to refuse to listen. The Constitution guarantees free speech to everyone about everything (with minor reasonable exceptions) -- this is it's most important, central and empowering provision. And it says nothing about listening. No one has to listen to anyone else's speech. We'd each be far better off if we learned how to listen more skillfully, choosing whom to listen to and about what.

I too want my civil rights and liberties. But I recognize that the only way I can have them is to make sure everyone else also has theirs.