Thomas Jefferson once wrote that “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” And here is the proof — enemies of basic Constitutional freedoms can arise from anywhere in the political spectrum.

This is why I get so angry when people tell me that they don’t know what the First Amendment is. It happened all the time in New York. And ignorance of our key rights leads inevitably to the disappearance of those rights. It is precisely how civil liberties are eroded.

Yes, I am aware of certain limits on speech and press, such as that which incites violence, causes a dangerous panic (“falsely yelling fire in a crowded movie theater”), constitutes slander or libel, or violates copyright or intellectual property rights.

Still, reading the words “free speech limits” makes me feel like I just swallowed a spoonful of dog shit.

Thank you, Megyn Kelly. You handled this exchange perfectly. And you wonderfully articulated your point about how the most reprehensible examples of speech paradoxically need the most protection.