I thought it was my civic duty to relay the information I had about Mr. Kavanaugh's conduct so that those considering his nomination would know about this assault.
At which point your sense of civic duty kicks in, you rush to the phone, you call the authorities to report that your girlfriend may have become the victim of foul play.
But, there's the idea of the right to free speech being your right — it's something you are able to do — but there's also the idea here I think of it being a civic duty.