We shouldn't edit our words for others' sensibilities

Face-to-face: Can freedom of speech go too far?

Quick read: "Punish us for what departs our lips, and soon society will plunge headfirst into a dystopia eerily reminiscent of "1984," where minor infringements on our freedom of speech become total violations of our freedom of thought …"

Heaven forbid I actually give the finger to the erratic driver who nearly sideswiped my car.

She is obviously an affectionate and doting mother who doesn't deserve an ounce of my negativity. I can tell -- she has a "Baby On Board" sign in her window.

How dare I curse under my breath within the hallowed halls of an educational establishment? That's my bad, School Administrator Whose Name I Cannot Recall But Whose Disapproving Frown I Will Never Forget.

But sometimes self-expression in the form of a colorful concoction of obscenities is entirely necessary when I am enormously displeased with a particular teacher.

I rarely associate the adjective "explicit" with my personality, but these days you'd think I was comparable to Don Imus.

The radio host's description of Rutgers University's "nappy-headed" women's basketball team last year cost him a significant amount of his already dwindling popularity.

Imus' on-air blunder was no surprise, but the consequences of his infamously defamatory mouth were unprecedented. Notorious for his blatant disregard for political correctness, Imus had made countless derogatory tirades about an array of populations prior to the Rutgers controversy, which triggered his suspension from the airwaves. Why then? Why ever?

I'm certainly not condoning the behavior of bigots like Imus. But if his conscience can sit well with the weight of disgusting remarks that reek of prejudice, he is free to do as he pleases.

How unfortunate those in the spotlight suffer the most austere of consequences for comments that aren't unusual on the streets every day.

Take, for instance, Michael Richards' racist remarks directed toward a group of heckling audience members at the Laugh Factory in November 2006. These patrons publicly rejected Richards' subsequent apology and instead sought monetary compensation.

I find it difficult to justify legal, much less financial, repercussions for verbal self-expression. Punish us for what departs our lips and soon society will plunge headfirst into a dystopia eerily reminiscent of "1984," where minor infringements on our freedom of speech become total violations of our freedom of thought -- a radical prediction, but recent incidents in the media suggest "thought-crime" isn't completely out of the question.

Even my own exercise of my constitutional right to freedom of speech has warranted disparaging glances when I'm out and about.

If you are sincerely affronted by my vocabulary, invest in a pair of earmuffs. I will not bite my tongue out of fear of offending the fragile sensibilities of an ill-tempered soccer mom and her brat pack while in line at Starbucks.

I would apologize in advance for my potentially uncouth language, but unless I am deliberately addressing you in a distasteful or discriminatory manner, I have absolutely nothing to regret.

I speak my mind without hesitance, without shame, without the burden of pandering to the few people who might blush and gasp at the occasional four-letter word that leaves my mouth.

I will burn a flag if I want to. What if there truly is a fire in a crowded theater? I want to watch a movie on TBS without listening to a script diluted by the FCC in hopes of fostering a kid-friendly environment.

Reality is not kid-friendly. Reality can be too obscene, too graphic, too racist, too sexist or too homophobic. In reality, people swear, people murder, people do drugs and people have sex.

Broadcast delays and bleep censors can't hide that.