Sorry Europe, when it comes to freedom of speech, America beats us again.

[Tellos Athenaios]

Then ponder this again: "that the greatest menace to freedom is an inert people; that public discussion is a political duty; and that this should be a fundamental principle of the American government." It implies that the people are sufficiently educated on political issues by means of public debate, and that this is an absolute requirement for the American government to function as designed.

Free speech is not a right without obligations; here there is a duty of informed debate conferred with it. Or to turn it upside down: You get free speech because in order for the American government to work as intended, it needs the American people to be able to make decisions based on informed, public debate.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

"There are worse crimes than burning books. One is not reading them"--Misattributed to Ray Bradbury