Hmmmmm,
I will not get into a lengthy discussion over the virtues of free speech as the opinions far exceeds those of religion and politics.
But, this is not a public forum, it is a privately owned forum and is thus subject to the guidelines and policies set down by the person that pays the bills to keep it operating. The policy in question has been defined above, but the "real" issue is not the policy. By participating on these forums, you have agreed to abide by those policies (not negotiable), the issue is whether or not that policy applies to "everybody" and it does, it applies to you, it applies to me, it applies to the owner of the board when he posts.
Let us not start off on the wrong foot by assuming that something can be said by anybody, anytime, about anything, in any manner and it is going to fly under the guise of free speech, these forums are moderated for the beterment of the site as a whole, not for the platform of one person.
As for the policy stated above, I hope that I stated it clearly.
We will not be the battleground for a war on the other side of the world, we have learned from past experience that this in not in the best interests of the site as a whole. That is just one of the simple policies, and we reqest that people respect it.
As for our thoughts on free speech as it relates to these forums,
While most people on the Internet are ardent defenders of free speech, it is not an absolute right; there are practical limitations. For example, you may not scream out "Fire!" in a crowded theater, and you may not make jokes about bombs while waiting to board an airplane. We accept these limitations because we recognize that they serve a greater good.
The ultimate response to the 'free speech' argument is this:
while we may have the right to say more or less whatever we want, we do not have the right to say it wherever we want. You may feel strongly about the fact that your neighbour has not mowed his lawn for two months, but you do not have the right to berate him in his own living room. Similarly, if a webmaster tells a someone that a post is not appropreate, the person has no "right" to persue. This is particularly true on the numerous free communications services offered on the net. (On pay systems, the person might be justified in asking for a refund.)
I have probably over answered your initial concern but it may in the process save a question or two in the future and if you ever have any spicific questions or concerns don't hesitate to contact the board owner
John@cruise-addicts.com