"Your free speech is more important than my feelings" or being accepted socially; post by female libertarian columnist on FEE

Tricia Beck-Peter has an important op-ed on the FEE (Foundation for Economic Education) site, “Your free speech is more important than my feelings”, link here. 

“The point of free speech is to rebel when those with power are wrong.”  Well put. 

But, yes, the world is an unequal place.  Yet, she says, “Your right to be awful is more important than my right to feel accepted.” She also says we can’t pick and choose whom free speech applies to.  You will say, terror groups?  KKK?

Actually, social acceptance is always a challenge in a world with more personal freedom. Those with more means must at some point reach out of their comfort bubbles and take risks for those with less.

You can imagine a similar statement about segregation in the distant past.  Back in the 1950s, when I was growing up, most white suburban neighborhoods may well have been “safer”.  Personal risk for those with more privilege means can only be met by building more social capital. 

Rick Sincere has also published his piece as a guest post, here.