A lesson from Cicero

I was in a cab once in Chicago, going through Cicero out of Midway Airport.  The driver was a black man about my age.  The topic turned to Illinois Nazis, and he said:  freedom of speech isn't valuable in and of itself.  It's not your expressing your opinion freely will make any particular difference.  It's valuable because it makes social and political discourse more public.

At the most extreme parts of the spectrum, it functions as a discovery mechanism as extremists seek to legitimize themselves.  Free speech creates an environment where you can hear the crazy things that are out there, learn who your enemies really are.

The danger of Trump is less his beliefs per se, but more so that there is an audience hungry to hear & agree w/ his beliefs.

— deray mckesson (@deray) September 5, 2015