But, we have a right to speak our minds without being called names.

No we don't. We should, however, have that expectation. Especially here.

I think this entire argument is beyond simple. In this country you have the right to say anything you want. You also have the right to the consequences of saying it.

There is no such thing as a free lunch, and our freedoms come at the cost of responsibility. You cannot believe that you can speak your mind and not be accountable. If you say something controversial, you can bet that some people will disagree with you and that you will hear about it. If you say something idiotic, you should expect people to call you on it. And if you make a statement that’s wildly unpopular (such as turning your back on the flag), you should expect a never-ending torrent of criticism.

As far as the name calling (and the getting personal) is concerned, it is everyone’s right to do so. I don’t think that many readers of The Chip Board think that it’s appropriate behavior in this forum, however, and I think that the name callers should expect some backlash (ie: being accountable for their actions).

This, of course, is just my opinion. Feel free to disagree.