Its the representation of the symbol he is referring to.
There is no Freedom of Speech in this country and you know that. It only extends to certain areas of speech.
Let me say this...if you came to me and call me the N word, I would knock your head off, you will cry to the police because I hit you and you had freedom of speech to say it, but I can defend saying, it is word you shouldn't utter to my kind. So who should win, you displaying your rights of freedom of speech or my rights of doing my freedom of speech to knock you the eff out for disrespecting me? I will win because being intelligent when speaking or spoken to is what the government is trying to convey and as a country we really suck at it. This is why we have this rule.
Oh, I wouldn't hit you if you said it. I would give you a look of "come on, you are better than that" look. And I have been called the "N" word a lot in my lifetime and no one has died because of it......yet. Or even assaulted. Sav calls me an angry old man, in life, I am the opposite, loud yes, opinionated yes, but that is the Chicago-born in me. My CEO brother and my sisters are several times more violent than I am.
You'd lose. sturg calling you a word doesn't give you the right to assault him.