Do we need to get back to a place where a large majority of Americans feel comfortable voicing their thoughts in the public square ?

yes, that would help restore our belief that the Bill of Rights still means something.

I'm assuming you mean "by the police"? 

Remember: the first amendment applies ONLY to the government or their agents. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GMnPXeuC0o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R18ZtIVs-PY

Some of us are old enough to remember how it used to be. It was ok to disagree.

I don't know how we can get back to someplace that we never were.  We do need to get back to the place where people just didn't make blatant. outrageous lies and expect people to just accept them as true.  Our society has pretty well always encouraged calling out people for BS, and rightfully so.  It is how you stop the BS: tell the people they are full of it and make them uncomfortable for trying to load it down on us.

If we ever get to a place where those folks feel comfortable (and we are pretty close to there right now), THEN the society is screwed.  We can't have a society where everyone is a liar.

Or fired, dropped, canceled...

YES!!!! 

Or physically assaulted by BLM and ANTIFA