Plato wrote what his mentor Socrates taught, but never wrote. Socrates hated Athenian democracy, and his students overthrew it twice. Many innocent people were murdered in the aftermath of inspired Socratic tyranny. The evidence at Socrates trial showed that his students were planning a third attempt, hence the charge "corrupting the youth" of Athens. Socrates was given a choice: exile or death and chose death, rather than admit to Athenian justice.

Athenian democracy got history's bad rap, not Socrates and certainly not Plato. But I believe Athens got it right. Does anyone think that Charles Manson who directed the Sharon Tate murders was innocent of complicity in that heinous crime? Free speech is rightly praised, but words have real world consequences when the intent is malign.