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Obviously there will be a backlash. If you believe the hype you have to believe a backlash too. Any criticism we get, is always stuff we've already criticised ourselves.

There's backlash about everything I do.

You should protest about the views of people you disagree with over major moral issues, and argue them down, but you should not try to silence them, however repugnant you find them. That is the bitter pill free speech requires us to swallow.

When the policy is controversial, you have to go out and defend it.

My concern is that contention is becoming accepted as a way of life.

Everybody who does anything for the public can be criticized. There's always someone who doesn't like it.

No matter what happens, you're always going to have those critics and those haters. You just have to learn how to deal with that. I think I have and accept that.

Oh my God, I don't think you can say anyone looks forward to controversy.

It's always easy to get people to condemn threats to free speech when the speech being threatened is speech that they like. It's much more difficult to induce support for free speech rights when the speech being punished is speech they find repellent.

One of the problems with defending free speech is you often have to defend people that you find to be outrageous and unpleasant and disgusting.