IMHO the problem is not that Sean Hannity, and others like him, speak. It is that they choose to speak in ways that engender thoughtlessness and reaction in the public discourse, by using fear and hatred instead of reason. To me, this is a severe public disservice and something to be ashamed of. In this manner they abuse their own freedom to speak by doing it in a way that eats away at the key thing that makes that freedom possible -- namely, reciprocal respect. Their extreme disrespect toward those they disagree with and their promotion of hate-and-fear-based irrationality is a public offence because it undermines the very idea of public dialogue.


A