Eric, if someone showed up in front of my house holding a sign saying, "I'm going to kill Joe Egan," such "expression" will result in that person looking down the barrel of my rifle while I wait for the police to arrive. If the person behaved in some manner I determined to be a a serious threat to my, or my loved ones' safety, that person is going to be shot.

Free "expression" does NOT give one the right to make threats against others.

I'm NOT saying that this Lauren Valle was making a threat against Rand Paul with her sign, I'm just pointing out that there are limits to "free expression."

If someone showed up in front of my house with a sign saying, "Tax Joe Egan; take his money and support retirees with it," I will recognize that the threat is different than the individual with a sign threatening to murder me, but I would still be "on my guard" against the suggested theft of my property. I would consider my emotional "fear reaction" against the suggested theft to be a completely? appropriate and healthy emotional response to the psychology/philosophy of the person carrying the sign.

--Joe