free speech, blah, blah, blah...

Every now and then you see or hear about something that someone has said or done that will make most rational people raise an questioning eyebrow toward. And then that person always goes on to claim they have the "right" to have done what they did, because it's protected by the 1st amendment. While I agree that everyone has those freedoms, I believe that anyone who has to claim that their actions are protected by said freedom is merely using it as a shield to act irresponsibly. Free speech was instituted so you could speak negatively about the government without being hanged. It has nothing to do with being able to irresponsibly vomit arrogant beliefs, opinions, and personal interests in the public's face like so many people use it for now. First, the government doesn't give people rights, - they're privileges. And like all privileges, if it's abused then it can be further restricted or taken away altogether. People have less rights today than they did just 100 years ago. And by that, I'm not referring to voting rights, segregation, or those rights given/taken from just minorities or women. I'm referring to rules and regulations that are applied to everyone when certain members of society can't act responsibly and with respect towards others using their own free-will. True freedom isn't issued by a government, it's something an individual has unto themselves. And with true freedom comes responsibility, and should be used in such a way.