Free Speech in the Era of Trump

As you're probably aware, I'm pretty much a free speech purist. I draw the line at inciting violence, but anything before that is ok with me.

What I hate is when people use free speech to spread lies. I used to see the birthers, moon landing hoax, and 9/11 conspiracies as the canaries in the coal mine of free speech. They were just nutty enough to be entertaining, but they weren't actually dangerous.

I now realize that conspiracy theory adherents are probably mentally ill, and need help. But how do you tell the difference between a nutty conspiracy theorist, and someone who is genuinely trying to blow the whistle on something nefarious?

I tell the difference based on their being impervious to facts, or if they call me a shill for trying to change their minds. If they move the goal post, switch to a different thread of conspiracy, or claim I'm in on the conspiracy, I suspect they're mentally ill.

The problem is, this is what happens when you say true things about a religious movement. If you point out that Muhammad married a 6 year old when he was in his 50s, you're labelled an islamophobic nut and racist. If you point out that Joseph Smith "translated" the book of mormon with a seer stone in a hat, you're labelled an anti-mormon bigot and apostate.

I'm not sure what the government should do about these hate spewing conspiracy nuts, if anything.

It would be really nice if conservatives would stop stoking fear of the migrant caravan. They need to stop lying about "middle easterners" being among them, trying to paint the lot of them as terrorists.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if nutty racists took it upon themselves to shoot migrants coming across the border. They've been amped up on the lies of repugnicans into thinking everyone in the caravan is a murdering, rapist, terrorist just waiting to kill Americans.

That's how unhinged the conservative movement has become. They've taken to smearing people fleeing violence. They claim to love Jewish people. But if they'd lived in the 19th century, they'd be the racists smearing Jewish refugees fleeing pogroms in Russia.