Michael Richards, Seinfeld's "Kramer," burst out into a hateful tirade during one of his comedy performances. He then apologized on The David Letterman Show. Like Mel Gibson he seemed extremely sorry about what he did. The apology seems real in my opinion but some people say he is just trying to save his career. Maybe in a bar around other rednecks you can get away with saying those things, but if you are in the general public--as comedians usually are--then it's best not to say anything that attacks a person's race, gender, religion, class, or so forth.
On Michael Richard's IMDB message board, someone asks, "Do we have freedom of speech, yes or no?"
Asking for a yes or no answer assumes everyone has a clear definition of what "freedom of speech" means. Maybe you don't think your definition is the same as the other person's and so a one-word answer is insufficient.
The literal meaning of freedom of speech, that you can say anything, rarely exists. For example, if you were in a crowded movie theatre and you shouted out "FIRE!!" then your words will spark a riot that may kill many.
Many people think freedom of speech applies not only to words but also to any kind of non-verbal communication. This includes things like pornography. Pornography is a freedom of speech issue. However, you wouldn't show pornography to children mainly because it's illegal. Furthermore, before presenting pornography, many websites have warnings or disclaimers warning people that offending material is coming. Hate is analogous to pornography. Michael Richard's audience were not warned of the offending material.
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