mattskramer
Senior Member
Worse than an absolutist, I'm a lawyer. Now THAT is controversial. Anyway, I was giving a legal spin, not so much a personal one, though personally I support more free speech, not less. And I find that Jewish judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg's delcared distinction between "free speech" and "hate speech" to be very, very, very dangerous. In other words, "hate speech" is what she doesn't like, "free speech" is what she does. Bad, very bad.
In response to your question, all these things are likely protected, though the Supreme Court has set up "time, place and manner" restrictions on speech. So, one foot from the door of an abortion clinic might be restricted to 100 feet, same for entering a church, same for 2 a.m yelling in Harlem (too loud, wakes people up).
Time, Place, and Manner That sounds good. Practically all things should be considered in moderation. There are few absolutes. Very few things are black-and-white. It all comes down to where we feel that we should draw the line.