I lot of rightists don’t understand free speech either.
I don’t agree with your across the board declaration that that conservatives don’t go in for silencing the opposition. Many do.
Situational ethics is rampant on both sides.
Yes, maybe I did make too broad a statement there. What I've noticed is you don't get the massive organized campaigns to silence personalities from the conservative side. If you do they're usually small and localized. For example, I never recall a mass attempt to shut down Air America through boycott, even though some of the hosts said pretty offensive things. Conservatives by and large took the attitude that their lack of ratings would do them in, and they were proven right.
Situational ethics cuts both ways, but you must admit on one side more than the other.