Was Charlie Hebdo, the satirical publication whose staffers were murdered by Islamic extremists in Paris, always the fairest and most responsible newspaper in the world? Of course not. I confess to have often cringed at its apparent double-standard when it comes to skewering Muslims and Jews.
But does anyone – ever – deserve to be harassed, hounded, or murdered for expressing an opinion, however egregious it may be perceived by some?
Voltaire’s biographer Evelyn Beatrice Hall eloquently and definitively answered that question long ago: I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.