re: Free speech
your right personal attacks and insults do disrupt communication, but they do not destroy anyone's freedom of speech. Also the freedom of speech grants the speaker the constitutional right to be heard. It does not however gaurantee he will be heard or listened to. Being listened to falls back into the 'courtesy' category not the 'rights' category.
I'm just trying to show that most of the arguments about a lack of freedom of speech in the US are groundless. There may certainly be a lack of courtesy, but that's beside the point.
-Steve G.