The Hypocrisy of the Left

I read today a petition at Moveon.org to get Rush Limbaugh kicked off the air. While I agree that he is a parasite who offers unsubstantiated and hateful positions, I'm not sure that attempts to censor him are warranted. If we believe in freedom of speech, we should believe in it at all times. Sure there need to be limitations -- like inciting violence, hate speech or screaming "fire" in a crowded theatre -- but censoring opinions we find abhorrent is exactly what the first amendment is attempting to protect. To be honest, I'm not even sure hate speech should be limited. We should have the voice and opportunity to respond to these opinions, but to shut them off puts all speech in jeopardy. I have a similar opinion about the numerous efforts to boycott or force universities to disinvite speakers, whether they be those on the left or the right. The only way to have a vibrant public sphere is to let silly and offensive opinions like those of Ron Paul, Rick Santorum and, unfortunately Rush Limbaugh, be heard. The real problem is the multitude of voices that are silenced in the mainstream media today and our barometer of what an expert is. The Internet has certainly contributed to allowing a wider array of perspectives to be heard, but the real battle is to hear those opinions in the mainstream -- as the protesters in Wisconsin and the OWS movement more effectively accomplished. So I say we should instead boycott any attempt to boycott voices we don't like.