I don't really have an answer for this question that I think I have fully formed.
One of the reasons I thought to ask was because I had been considering just what exactly it means, at least to me.
I have a few thoughts on it so far.
Fundamentally I think free speech should not be restricted. I would say that free speech should not be restricted by law more specifically.
And to clarify I would regard free speech to be the ability to speak and articulate thought in a communicative form.
I wouldn't consider artistic expressing under the same meaning. Though I think artistic expressions holds almost an identical value and meaning. So although I think they are almost identical (and maybe I am wrong in separating them?) I think there is a slight though not great difference between expression of thought and expression of art. My thought being that society sets boundaries on what would be considered morally wrong in artistic expression but would not be wrong to discuss in factual expression of thought.
I may need to think of that more because I may not be right in considering them separate forms of expression, but i think there's something there, society puts more restriction on artistic expression (and in some ways freedom) than it does expressing thought.
So I do think we have the right to express our thought, no matter what that thought is, without legal repercussion.
But I do think there is more to it than simply the ability to speak.
I think though you should be allowed to express your thought, you must be responsible for your thoughts and how you express them.
I also think that free speech may not be the right direction to aim for.
Part of the reason I thought about this thread apart from it being to make people (and myself) think about the concept of free speech was from a recent video that Jordan Peterson was speaking in here.
He brought up the thought to speak the truth as best as you are able to.
I think this has some merit. I think while free speech is essentially a fundamental right, maybe even more so than just a fundamental right. I think there's a responsibility to the use of it. To speak the truth I think could go hand in hand with free speech, and I think its something we no longer ingrain and promote in society as much as we used to. That is, to use your right to free speech responsibly with with truth.
Many people go around using 'free speech' as an excuse in an attempt to harm and disrupt people in various ways, and I think in most cases you could probably make the case that free speech alone was not the cause of harm or disruption, but actually free speech in collusion with some other action.
So my thought has been recently that maybe free speech in the positive light also doesn't stand alone but stands with other concepts. Free speech is powerful when speaking the truth to the best of your ability, it can after all counter the use of free speech when used with lies and deceit. It's powerful when using it with positive action. etc.
Hopefully that makes sense. These have been some of my thoughts so far.