I could also have an opinion, and if it's not favorable to a random person I tell it to, they might as well attack me. Even that very man might attack me, or otherwise tell me to silence myself, if I was to say the 'wrong' thing to him.
Maybe not at this point, seeing as he's learned his lesson, but I know the power of mere words.
As a philosophical poet, I know words are extremely powerful.
Preventing them from being spoken can be very useful.
As for me, I'm not an absolutist unless you are.
If you're not, then I say: Assault whoever says anything you disapprove of.
Why stand for bullshit? If you won't defend freedom of information transmission, even where you disagree, then why not at least beat down people who say things you don't like?
Why take the utterances of fools with anything other than a boot to their stupid face?
Better you watch your mouth for fear of repercussions from anyone, rather than a select few in whatever government/society/religion is popular. That is, censorship by all is favorable to censorship by a single government.
Or again, I don't mind playing the absolutist game if everyone else plays. I just don't want to be censored. I am one of those people who actually has things to say, and would like to think I can be completely and utterly free to speak my mind without any sort of fear whatsoever of being assaulted by humans, in uniform, or just street people.
But if not absolutist, then you'd better watch what you say. Ya never know who's listening, and who might disapprove.