title:  J.K. Rowling Defends Trump’s Right To Say What He Wants, Sort Of (VIDEO)
text: As a writer, especially as a writer who writes controversial (to some Christians) books, J.K. Rowling knows a thing or two about freedom of speech, so I suppose it s not surprising that when asked about it, she defends speech, even if it comes from someone as  offensive and bigoted  as Donald Trump.In a speech at the PEN America literary gala on Monday night, Rowling used her personal distaste for Trump s demagoguery to make a larger case for global freedom to speak.  Now, I find almost everything that Mr. Trump says objectionable. I consider him offensive and bigoted. But he has my full support to come to my country and be offensive and bigoted there,  she said, noting a popular online petition to ban Trump from entering the U.K.  His freedom to speak protects my freedom to call him a bigot. His freedom guarantees mine. The Harry Potter author s comments came after British lawmakers debated banning Trump from local travel for  hate speech. If you seek the removal of freedoms from an opponent simply on the grounds that they have offended you,  she said,  you have crossed a line to stand along tyrants who imprison, torture and kill on exactly the same justification. Source: SlateHere s the video:Rowling told the audience that she has little to complain about when it comes to censorship, but she did regale the story of a Christian who accosted her.  I didn t know  I m praying for you  could be so intimidating,  she said.She was probably underselling it. Her books (and movies) have long been targets for right-wing Christians, who are upset by the occult theme. Some have tried to ban the books from classrooms, and some have succeeded. She even had to defend her books in court.As for Trump, she s not a fan. In December, she posted this, referring to Harry Potter s archenemy, Lord Voldemort, who is sometimes compared to Trump:How horrible. Voldemort was nowhere near as bad. https://t.co/hFO0XmOpPH  J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 8, 2015However, Rowling loves the freedom of speech much more than she hates Trump, so she s willing to acknowledge that he has the perfect right to say the awful and hateful things that make up his campaign rhetoric.What Trump supporters don t realize, though, is that while I, or Rowling, can defend Trump s freedom of speech, we also have freedom of speech, which means we are free to call him pretty much anything we want. We are also free to call his speech what it is: hate speech. The most important freedom for right now, though, is the freedom to vote against him. Or, as she more eloquently put it,  His freedom to speak protects my freedom to call him a bigot. His freedom guarantees mine. Featured image via video screen capture. 