A thread about "Free Speech" from a comedian who makes his living from it.

I have performed over 4,000 times. And every one of those times, my speech has been free, but has had repercussions.

Sometimes, when I get booked for a gig, the booker gives me rules of what I can and can not say. Other times I'm given free reign, but audience members get offended by jokes and complain, potentially costing me the ability to return for another gig. My speech is still free.

I've seen comedians fired mid week because the club didn't like their act. No one arrested them or prosecuted them. They simply dealt with the consequences of their free speech.

Once, I got docked $25 by a booker for violating their obscenity policy I'd agreed to. My free speech wasn't violated. It was my right to say "cock" on stage, it was her right to dock my pay, and it was my right to tell her to go fuck herself and never work there again.

So GOP pundits: You know how you know you have free speech? Because you can spout this dumb drivel about how you don't - and no one is arresting you. Instead, we're just dunking on how little you understand civics. Which is OUR right. Because we all have free speech.

The Bill of Rights was based on the Declaration des Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen. The premise is that we all have unlimited rights UNTIL they infringe on the rights of someone else. So you have the right to say dumb shit on Twitter. And Twitter has the right to kick you off.

As a comedian, free speech is EXTREMELY important to me. But even more important is people understanding the definition AND the responsibility of it.

Despite calling yourselves the party of personal responsibility, you sure as hell don't seem to take any.

Thanks for reading this thread. And now, I am completely prepared for any repercussions posting these words may have caused. Because that is how free speech works.