As you already know, we're totally in favor of free speech and all that other "First Amendment says 'you can't sue us'" goodness.

But as a practical matter, most people tend to discuss more controversial political matters primarily in the privacy of their own homes, out of concern that their remarks will be overheard by someone who violently disagrees. Or, you know, accidentally broadcast in front of millions of people, thereby causing a national outrage and effectively ruining their career—er, careers.

BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) — A Lebanese television anchor's comments and laughter regarding the assassination of Lebanese anti-Syrian parliamentarian Walid Eido have caused a furor and resulted in her firing.

The NBN anchor, who has not been identified, did not realize her microphone was on.

"So, why did it take them so long to kill him?" the anchor asked a colleague on live television Wednesday, the same day as Eido's death. She begins laughing, and the colleague joins in. (Listen to the exchange over images of the deadly bombing Video)

Then she says, referring to anti-Syrian parliament member Ahmad Fatfat, "Fatfat should be next. I'm counting them down."

Yikes.

Unfortunately for the as-yet unidentified, this accidental "live mic" incident looks to have far more severe ramifications than they did for that CNN reporter who referred to her brother's wife as a "total control freak" in the midst of President Bush's (totally boring!) speech about the Hurricane Katrina victims. Primarily because of the whole veiled death threat (Fatfat is said to be "fearing for his life") and 'laughing in the face of an assassination' thing, but also because Lebanon is a scary fucking place to live.

And they don't love the First Amendment nearly as much as we do.