In order to maintain a safe and productive environment Recovery Realm follows a Code of Conduct and set of consequences for failure to follow the site rules.

Yes, the Constitution of the USA and many other countries, guarantees free speech (and that's a very good thing). And it doesn't say it has to be responsible. Or even nice.

The legal system, however, does have a thing or two to say about some forms of speech and where they are used. In certain cases, it will punish irresponsible or mean speech -- like shouting fire in a crowded venue, slander, deliberately making false accusations, making false claims, publishing pornography in some cases, hate speech, sexual harassment, inciting riots, or sedition.

These are all examples of where the law and yes even Recovery Realm regulates free speech.

Nothing that is being suggested will stop anyone who wants to say whatever they want from saying it. It just might stop you from posting it or saying it wherever you want. Your freedom to post ends at our freedom to run the site as we see fit.

At the end of the day, the people who run these discussion forums, blogs, and chat rooms are the ones who are responsible for what happens on their pages.

What we are saying is, We don't want a certain level of discourse on our site or in our chat room, and we are willing to agree on certain rules, and even a labeling of our site and selves so anyone who comes will know what to expect.

If that's censorship, so be it. The people who follow these guidelines will do so because they want to, not because anyone is forcing them to.

People who think these rules are a bunch of hooey, unnecessary, or even dangerous are free to run their sites as they please, and to post or chat in like-minded sites that welcome their comments and mode of expression.

There is no such concept as absolute freedom of speech.

Life would be quite unlivable if everyone were to be encouraged or for that matter permitted to speak their mind without second thought for the consequences.

Absolute freedom of speech would constitute an infringement on freedom to live. There appears to be a fairly common mis-perception that freedom equals license; that being free to do something means you possess an irrevocable license to do it.

What seems to be lacking is an understanding that our "rights" also confer an irrevocable responsibility to exercise our freedoms intelligently and responsibly.

IN FACT the first amendment of the US Constitution says: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

This amendment places a limit on the CONGRESS, and by association the government. There is absolutely NOTHING in there which places a limitation on a person or company to regulate speech in their chat room or forum they provide.

Therefore if a website owner, presuming it isn't the U.S. government, wants to restrict speech on their sites there is nothing to prohibit them from doing so.

Not to mention the fact that the U.S. constitution comes to a screaming halt at their border, and contrary to popular American belief, there is a whole world beyond that is certainly not governed by the U.S.