Is it normal that free speech advocators tend to be the most easily offended?

The meaning of "free speech" has become perverted and polluted down by people advocating for it for the wrong reasons.

"Free Speech", in pretty much all constitutions that support it, means THE STATE has no right to interfere, punish you, fine you or silence you in any way for your speech. Unless what you're saying is deemed threatening or incitement to violence, then in theory you should not face legal challenges.

Most of the time, this holds up, there aren't that many actual real examples of free-speech blocking by a state that claims to support it.

"Free Speech" does NOT, however, protect you from social consequences. "Social consequences" are regular people judging you, criticising your ideas, debating you, etc. Having an opinion that simply isn't popular, or is considered ignorant and rude by a lot of people, is not having free speech blocked. Neither is losing your reputation among people because you show your ass. No idea is above scrutiny. Ideas do not have rights, they can be touched by social critique.

What a lot of these "but muh free speech!" whiners want is a world where people can't disagree with them. That's it, simply put. They want a world where they can just run their mouths and say whatever they like, however controversial, and then shout "but free speech!" when someone simply has a difference of opinion at odds with what they say. That doesn't just apply to people on the conservative Right-wing btw, this also applies to a lot of people on The Left. I say that as someone who is on The Left myself.

In reality these are people who are merely encountering disagreement, which is not the same thing as being silenced by oppressive laws. Disagreement is a part of life, you live in a world of 7 billion people with 7 billion different minds, get fucking used to it.

The best speech of all is whatever your house cat is talking about.

I have experienced that most people I've encountered enjoy criticizing others far more than being criticized. It isn't normal to sweep everyone who advocates free speech into this same pattern of behavior, but loud people with thin skin are sadly common. I have the misfortune of being related to a self proclaimed advocate and they have the thinnest skin of anyone I've ever encountered. I think people who attach themselves to something whole heartedly get easily offended because they put themselves into it and can't seperate their identity anymore. If you question the idea, it's now a personal attack. It's not just about the idea anymore when you make it about you. So projecting about being mean and judgemental is ironic, but entirely lost on the person doing it in my experience.

And they would say "I am only truthful", but don't dare speaking the truth about them.

It's pretty ironic and hypocritical.

Meh, I rarely see this. I see it but very rarely.

Regardless, I think the main point is that while you can be offended you shouldn't try to shut down their speech unless it violates laws, not your views.

For example:

Free speecher: I think the US should have stronger immigration laws.

Opposition: That's offensive and that makes you a racist, Nazi, fascist and shouldn't be allowed to express those views.

Free speecher: *Gets offended*

Not saying that's how your experiences turned out but it's what I've seen free speechers get offended about, and rightfully so if their views are resulting in someone being villified with every trendy word to tag to your opposition nowadays.

Mind you, yeah, I have actually seen some alt-righters do that you've explained.

I suppose the conclusion is yeah, people can be offended, sometimes people have more reason to be offended than others objectively but both sides get to express their freedom of speech aslong as it doesn't go into unlawfulness, and no that doesn't include views that people somehow reach the mental gymnastic conclusion of being unlawful.

While I disagree, I am not offended

its free speech when im not getting paid, pay me and i lecture what you want to hear. thats why i piss everyone off.