Freedom of speech has a cultural dimension as well as a legal one. Legally, it means that the government must not punish people for their expression, except when it violates the rights of others (e.g., clear threats). Cultural respect for free speech is also important. Where it exists, people have room to express their opinions, even when most people disapprove of them. If it goes away, legal protections for free speech are likely to follow.

Cultural freedom of speech doesn’t mean an obligation to grant a platform or to refrain from criticism. The best way to describe it is going after ideas rather than people when possible. Saying that an idea is horrible is one thing. Saying that the person who said it horrible is a stronger charge and can do more damage. This doesn’t mean we should never condemn people for what they say, but it should be reserved for the most serious cases.

Here are a few principles that a culture of free speech should follow. Sticking by them improves everyone’s chances of understanding a range of ideas and getting along with people who disagree.

• Exclude all violence and vandalism. “Nazi-punching” is never justified, no matter what definition of “Nazi” you use. Silencing people by force says you’ve given up showing you’re right and can only intimidate and silence your opponents. It puts you on the side of the brutes, just a member of one gang feuding with another.
• Don’t shout down speakers. Shouting down someone who is addressing a group that wants to hear them is a confession of impotence in the debate. All you can do is make animal sounds to prevent an opponent from being heard.
• Exercise restraint where people’s safety or livelihood is concerned. There are times when people should be fired for what they say, especially if it indicates that they’ll abuse their authority, but don’t go after someone’s job — or fire someone working for you — just because you don’t like their views. And, of course, don’t dox them.
• Don’t toss epithets around casually. If you call somebody a Fascist or Communist, have solid evidence to back it up. Name-calling leads to hostility and can make it harder to address the fallacies in a statement, and it draws attention away from those who actually merit those terms.
• Don’t silence people too quickly. A Reddit post of mine was once deleted because I cited an article that appeared on the same website as another article which the moderator disapproved of. If you run or moderate a forum, it’s fine to moderate for tone, personal attacks, deviation from the forum’s purpose, etc., but you should give room to express varying opinions and cite a broad range of sources. Some stores used to threaten to expel customers who expressed disapproved ideas. I haven’t seen much of that lately. Having untrained employees banish shoppers on the basis of some overheard bits of conversation couldn’t have been good for business.
• Pay attention to what people actually say. People sometimes get accused of saying things they didn’t say. Their words may be pulled out of context in a way that completely changes their meaning, or the accuser may make stuff up outright. Check for accuracy and context before denouncing someone.
• Make respect for people the default. Some are idiots and some are evil, but it’s best to grant people respect until there’s good evidence they don’t deserve it.

“Paradox of tolerance” nonsense notwithstanding, following these principles won’t let bad ideas flourish. It will make it easier to rebut them and change people’s minds.