Yeah, for me, this is at the heart of the uncomfortable ground we stand on; I don't think people's comments even need to perform the function of a joke. We could debate endlessly about what that function even is. I think anything short of inciting physical violence should be allowed (there maybe some minor caveats I'm not currently thinking of, but I'd say I broadly stand behind this).

To be clear, I don't like standing behind this. I'd much rather be able to bend the rules whenever somebody says anything I feel is too cruel or too personal or just too stupid. But that's the whole point.

Too many people feel that discomfort when standing behind an important principle and decide the principle is faulty rather than their ability to think clearly when an issue affects them. Human beings simply aren't smart enough to decide, in real time, what ideas are should be heard and which should be silenced. And trying to silence ideas only makes them stronger

We have to be free to make mistakes. We have to be free to say things that challenge the prevailing view. We have to learn to see being offended as the beginning of a conversation, instead of the end.

And yes, great choice of quote. Somehow, Twitter has become the king in 2021! Which is a terrifying state of affairs 😅 The power the Twitter mob has to ruin people's lives, with none of the accountability of a real person, and too few people foolish enough to speak the truth, should be worrying to everybody.