[Fausty]

Indeed, the emphasis in the founding documents of the USA on freedom of speech (and assembly) sits squarely in the world of politics. Constraints on speech - particularly political speech - have often gone hand in glove with authoritarianism and other forms of rigid governmental control. The guys in white wigs were deeply leery of a government without anyone to oppose it, and one area they felt introduced an important balance to governmental power was freedom of speech (with some limitations).

Interestingly, the right to post anonymous political rants (i.e. handbills) was also deeply respected by the founding patriarchy - so much so that it was discussed as something worth specifically including in the Bill of Rights. Puts a bit of a different spin on the role of anonymous internet trolls in modern political discourse, eh?

Fausty