Ricky Gervais: It's 'Sad' that Grandchildren of Those Who Fought For Free Speech 'Don't Want It Now'

Veteran comedian and A-list actor Ricky Gervais took to Twitter on Thursday to express his sadness over the growing opposition to free speech.

“I find it quite sad that some of the grandchildren and great grandchildren of men and women who died to preserve our freedom of speech don’t want it now,” declared Ricky Gervais.

Gervais has frequently been criticized for his politically incorrect humor, and in March, the comedian defended YouTube star Count Dankula after he was prosecuted for making his dog perform a Roman salute during a comedy video.

“A man has been convicted in a UK court of making a joke that was deemed ‘grossly offensive’. If you don’t believe in a person’s right to say things that you might find ‘grossly offensive’, then you don’t believe in Freedom of Speech,” Gervais expressed, while he has previously defended free speech on a number of occasions.

It was nearly a year ago that Gervias shared this gem, saying, “Offense is the collateral damage of free speech. It’s a good thing. It forces people to think and come up with an argument.”